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inform
issue 18
october 2009
BACK TO ORIGIN –
POWER FROM NATURE
RENEWABLE ENERGY
TUNNEL
BREAKTHROUGHS
PARTYING NON-STOP
NEW FLAIR
FOR FRANKFURT
OPERA TOWER
THE MAGAZINE OF STRABAG SE
Editorial
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EDITORIAL
Dear Employees,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
lost job hurts, for there is always a person’s life affected. Nevertheless, if need be, such measures must be taken in order to secure our
existence and thereby the majority of jobs.
Hans Peter Haselsteiner
CEO of STRABAG SE
The crisis in which the economy has been stuck for a year now
is still a serious and nasty matter. It makes people insecure, triggers
fear for one’s existence, rids millions of people (in the EU alone more
than 30 million so far) of their jobs and drives them into poverty.
Once it’s over, it will have hit or at least in some way – and hardly in
a positive one – affected every single one of us. This crisis will certainly redefine the demand for fair income and wealth distribution
and will force us into a new solidarity with the disadvantaged, provided that we don’t want to put the social cohesion in our society at
risk.
Unfortunately, I cannot share the optimism some like to express
by already talking of an upswing. I rather expect the general
depressed sentiment to continue, at any rate, until the end of 2010.
In the construction industry, the crisis will not reach its peak before
2012, after the economic stimulus packages end.
Aside from the unwanted but necessary capacity adjustments,
‘flop prevention’ is a central and highly charged issue, in particular
in times like these. In his article, Peter Fischer, Head of Contract
Management, spells out in clear words the weaknesses of our
company: 66% of all flops are due to management failures. False
pride in the form of resistance to advice causes a decrease in results
by more than EUR 300 mn (!!). I thus urge you to avail yourself of the
consultancy services offered by our Central Staff Division ‘Contract
Management’, and I would like to invite you to take part in an open
mistake culture. We all must be ready to speak about mistakes that
we have made, in order to enable others to learn from them. Making
a mistake hurts but is forgivable. Yet, to make the same mistake
twice is just stupid and must not happen!
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Even though the financial statement for the year 2009 will not
yet show any signs of the crisis and our order books for 2010 are
already filled to the amount of a full year’s construction volume, we
still need to be prepared for some tough years. They will claim yet
more discipline, endeavor, and versatility from us, and maybe also
a new modesty. In any case, however, we will overcome this crisis
and, with a little luck and your contribution, which is most essential,
we will emerge from it with even greater strength.
Yours sincerely,
Once again, we – the STRABAG family – can consider ourselves
fortunate because of our high crisis resistance. The ‘millipede’ we
have created provides for risks being balanced over regions and
segments. This issue of inform again hints at the broadness of our
service portfolio and our geographic diversification. The cover story
entitled ‘Back to Origin – Power from Nature’ illustrates the services
we render in the field of environmental engineering. STRABAG has
in good time become aware of the significance of this sector and
has been doing pioneering work in the fields of biomass, biogas,
wind power (on-shore as well as off-shore), hazardous waste remediation, and geothermal engineering. Anyhow, despite all the efforts
made to open up new segments and markets, STRABAG, too, has
already had to adjust capacities. Hungary, Romania, Serbia, and
Russia were particularly affected. In almost all the other countries,
the situation is becoming more difficult, but we have been able to
keep the construction volume at more or less the same level. Every
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Hans Peter Haselsteiner
www.strabag.com
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
News
04STRABAG REACHING FOR THE STARS Art and Artists
06 EVERY REASON TO PARTY Celebrations
08 LET’S GET TO WORK! General Meeting of STRABAG SE
09 DOORS NOW OPEN Exhibition Hall P
10 PARTNERSHIP MODEL TURNS 15 Teamconcept
11SUCCESSFUL TRADE SHOW ‘Wasser Berlin’ Trade Fair 2009
11 ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY I/44 Červenohorské sedlo - North
COVER STORY
12BACK TO ORIGIN – POWER FROM NATURE Renewable Energy
PEOPLE AT STRABAG
20 ALL JUST A BIT DIFFERENT STRABAG Personnel in the Spotlight
Strabag units
24NEW WAYS TO PREVENT FLOPS Contract Management
26STRABAG BANKS ON NEW TOOLS SCOT & STRAthek
PROJECTS
28NEW FLAIR FOR FRANKFURT OperaTower
30 A CITY IN THE CITY Siemens City
31 A LANDMARK FOR COLOGNE Crane House South
32 PIONEERS AT WORK LNG Tanks
33 MODERN DWELLING IN OLD DESIGN Robert-Blum-Street
33 OFFICE COMPLEX OFFERING A BIRD’S EYE VIEW Hegau Tower
34 A PEARL SECURED Scharbeutz
35 AN 83 KM LONG BELTWAY Prague Ring Road
36 VISIONS OF MODERNIZATION Bratislava Airport
37 DRILLING LIKE HEROES External Duct Diameter: 315 mm
38 HIGH-TECH ON THE ROADSIDE Noise Barrier Walls
39 MORE THAN BUILDING Property and Facility Services
40 TUNNEL BREAKTHROUGHS Partying Non-stop
42 550 TRAINS IN THE BELLY OF STOCKHOLM „Söderströmstunneln“
Events
44 “READY, SET, GO …!” STRAtria & JP Morgan Corporate Challenge
SPE
CIALS
46 A LAP OF HONOR IN THE ROAD FINISHER Congratulations
46 LITTLE ARTISTS Painting Competition
47 WANTED: YOUNG TALENTS! STRABAG
47 YOUR OPINION COUNTS Letters to the Editor
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ART AND ARTISTS
DOME OF STARS AND WATER WORLD
STRABAG REACHING
FOR THE STARS
Columns with integrated lighting that point up into the sky like
index fingers shall draw attention to the research of Georg von
Peuerbach. Above the underground entrance, visitors will be able to
enjoy two impressive installations: the ‘Dome of Stars’ and the
‘Water World’.
Never before, have the stars been within such close
reach for STRABAG. Firstly, with the ‘Kometor’ an objet
d‘art is being created that shall become a landmark of
the Peuerbach region, and secondly, there‘s a new star
rising in the art scene: Jan Vasilko, winner of the first
STRABAG Artaward International.
Austria. Near the famous ‘Great Loop’ of the River Danube in
the Austrian federal province of Upper Austria, there is the small
town of Peuerbach, which since 1995, has been home to the artist
couple Manfred and Billa Hebenstreit. For about three years, the two
of them have been planning a walk-in sculpture called ‘Kometor’.
On 22 April 2009 finally, the first spade of earth was turned ceremoniously. STRABAG was awarded the contract worth EUR 900,000
which is to be implemented in the ‘teamconcept’ approach. Construction commenced in the 20th calendar week. The ‘Kometor’ sculpture
is a some 15 m high dodecahedron composed of twelve pentagonal
faces and is meant as a tribute to the astronomer, mathematician and
humanist Georg von Peuerbach, born in Peuerbach in 1423. His
astronomical calculations provided the basis for the first reliable orientation aids for marine navigation and even modern space travel.
“The earth-turning ceremony for a project that is key to an entire
region!” Those were the words of Provincial Governor Josef Pühringer.
The Dome of Stars features overlapping projections of glassmade images of stars and photos of faraway galaxies designed by
Manfred Hebenstreit which together with sounds and light effects
create a huge, three-dimensional, kaleidoscopic whole. “The Water
World is composed of a river of images and a water curtain seemingly suspended in midair. Projections of underwater and surface
images supplement each other to form a network of colors and
shapes,” explains Billa Hebenstreit.
Info + +
Art & Artist I
“We got our inspiration for this project from the thoughts and
works of Georg von Peuerbach. Therefore, the ‘Kometor’ is
a work of art in reminiscence of the town’s most famous
son.” That’s how Manfred and Billa Hebenstreit explain their
idea behind the Hebenstreit-celestial-body-project named
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‘Kometor’ which is taking shape where in earlier days a tower
watched over the Peuerbach palace grounds.
For more information please visit www.kometor.at or
www.hebenstreit-manfred.at.
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www.strabag.com
News
News
A NEW STAR IN THE ART SCENE
On 4 June 2009, the first STRABAG Artaward International, an
award for the promotion of young art by STRABAG SE, was given
away. Before, the STRABAG Artaward had only been awarded to
Austrian artists. From this year on, for a period of three years, artists
from Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia are also invited to
submit entries for this competition.
As always, Hans Peter Haselsteiner presented the winners
with their prizes. Typically, the
first prizes that were handed
over were the runner-up prizes
of EUR 5,000 each that went to
the Austrians Moussa Kone
and Clemens Wolf, Jan Šerých
from the Czech Republic, and
Jan Vasilko, the lucky winner
Zsolt Tibor from Hungary. The
from among 730 competitors
winner of the STRABAG Artaward International 2009 of
EUR 15,000 was 30-year old Jan Vasilko from Slovakia. He won out
over about 730 competitors. In addition to the monetary awards,
each winner is presented with the opportunity of a solo exhibition at
the Artlounge of the STRABAG Headquarters in Vienna.
The Artaward was introduced by Hans Peter Haselsteiner and
Wilhelm Weiss, Director of the STRABAG Kunstforum, back in 1994.
“The Artaward‘s internationalization, which I have been looking
forward to with great excitement, was to everyone‘s utmost satisfaction. Everything was just excellent: the quality of the works of art, the
artistic level of the competitors, and the cooperation of the international jury! I‘m happy!” says Wilhelm Weiss delightedly.
from left: Jan Vasilko, Jan Šerých, Zsolt Tibor, Moussa Kone,
Clemens Wolf
More information on the activities of the STRABAG Kunstforum
can be found on the internet at www.strabag-kunstforum.at.
CONTACT KOMETOR: Johann Schmatzer, Building Construction &
Civil Engineering, Division Austria /Switzerland,
Sub-division Upper Austria.
CONTACT STRABAG ARTAWARD: Wilhelm Weiss,
STRABAG Kunstforum
Info + +
Art & Artist II
The art of Jan Vasilko is characterized by a one-of-a-kind
creative program, rooted in his enthusiasm for production
and agricultural machinery, production halls and robots. In
his paintings, ‘mechanisms’ play the roles of the story’s
heroes in expressing the ideological and philosophical
messages and symbols.
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Celebrations
EVERY REASON TO PARTY
One must celebrate when one has the chance to: be it
because of a new chapter that was added to the company
history, because of a new office building that was
opened, or because of diamonds that were handed out.
formance of all those involved in the dealings during the past
months, who made the financing of this large-scale project by way
of a public-private-partnership (PPP) possible. So, even in times of
financial crisis, the advantages of PPP models could be demonstrated.
Approximately 130 people were invited to join the party for
which a marquee had been erected at the eastern side of the future
motorway. At beautiful weather, instead of the traditional turning of
the first spadeful of earth, a tube containing a document signed by
the contracting parties was embedded into a bridge foundation.
NEW HOME IN MULTI-FUNCTIONAL COMPLEX
On 29 May 2009, the time had finally come: The modern and
multi-functional Business Complex Dugopolje became the new
home of 81 employees of STRABAG Croatia. The object was officially opened by Hans Peter Haselsteiner, Josip Kuzmanić (Technical
Manager of Sub-division MD), Dean Pavlak (Technical Manager of
Sub-division MP), Ante Sanader (County Prefect of the Split-Dalmatia County), and Zlatko Ževrnja (Mayor of the municipality of Dugopolje). In a ceremonial act attended by more than 250 invited
guests, a red ribbon was cut to inaugurate the complex.
Symbolic act: a document gets ‘bricked in’.
Poland /Croatia. On 29 June 2009, a new chapter in the
company history was opened: STRABAG was awarded the biggest
single contract ever in the history of the company. As partner in a
consortium, STRABAG will be constructing the second section of
the Polish toll motorway A2, connecting Nowy Tomysl in the west
with Swiecko at the German border, between July 2009 and May
2012, and will then operate it until 2037.
The Business Complex had been built by STRABAG AG, Subdivision MP, as the general contractor, between April 2008 and
March 2009 according to the plans of MHM Ziviltechniker GmbH,
the company that had also designed the new company headquarters in Bratislava. The total investment volume amounted to about
EUR 7 mn, which demonstrates the strategic importance of this
market for STRABAG.
STRABAG AG is the leading partner in the “A2 STRADA
Sp z o.o.” project company that serves as the general contractor.
The project volume including financing amounts to EUR 1.6 bn, construction including planning comes to about EUR 1.3 bn. The project
comprises, among other things, 81 bridges, two road maintenance
service centers, six motorway intersections, and the construction of
a closed toll system. This motorway section must be completed
before the kick off of the European Football Championship in Poland
in June 2012.
Business Complex Dugopolje in all its glory.
The STRABAG Group’s share in the contract amounts to
EUR 1 bn, raising the order backlog to EUR 2.1 bn and making
Poland the Group’s second-most important market after Germany
and before Austria.
High-ranking local politicians from the Ministry of Infrastructure
and from the motorway authority GDDKiA attended the opening
ceremony. Hans Peter Haselsteiner, together with STRABAG Board
Members Fritz Oberlerchner and Hannes Truntschnig represented
the STRABAG Group. In his speech, Haselsteiner praised the per-
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The office complex was built on a 10,650 m² plot in the heart of
Dugopolje. “This location is supposed to highlight the traffic hub and
the focus of STRABAG-Süd,” explains Josip Kuzmanić. The total
office space of 3,887 m² accommodates 44 offices on three floors,
a shed with a workshop for BMTI, and a modern laboratory for TPA.
In addition, the outside areas provide parking space for 80 cars and
a storage area for large-size equipment.
www.strabag.com
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News
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Polish economy. Former winners of the ‘Golden Figurine’, who
remain outstanding in terms of business ethics and championing the
development of the Polish market, are awarded diamonds. Back in
2007, Dariusz Slotwinski had the pleasure to receive the ‘Golden
Figurine of the Polish Economy’ for STRABAG Poland. This year,
Pawel Antonik, since 2008 Transportation Infrastructures Division
Head in Poland, received the ‘first diamond to the Golden Figurine’.
The prize was presented by the Polish Parliament Speaker Bronislaw Komorowski. “Strengthening our company’s market leadership
brings me satisfaction and heightens my sense of responsibility
towards the Polish economy,” emphasizes Antonik proudly.
Hans Peter Haselsteiner
proudly inaugurates the
new headquarters.
15 SUCCESSFUL YEARS
The inauguration ceremony also provided an opportunity to
toast to 15 years of successful business in Croatia. The Croatian
motorway network is among those in Europe that grow most rapidly,
and STRABAG has played a major role in this process by building
the motorway Zagreb-Macelj, the motorway section Osijek-Ðakovo,
as well as three sections of the Split-Ploče motorway. Yet, STRABAG
also played an important part in other infrastructure projects, such
as the Krapina Tunnel, the new Kantrida pool complex in Rijeka, or
the Kotezi Bridge. STRABAG Croatia comprises 21 companies and
has a total staff of 1,150 who generated a turnover of EUR 185 mn
in the year 2008. According to Josip Kuzmanić, the Sub-division’s
future prospects “lie in strengthening its market position and developing new fields”.
Bronislaw Komorowski handing over the coveted diamond to Pawel
Antonik.
The BCC was founded in 1991 as a club for entrepreneurs and
private employers’ associations with the objective of supporting Polish
enterprises. The club brings together 1,200 – mainly private – companies with approx. 2,000 entrepreneurs and some 600,000 staff.
Among the laureates of the BCC award are celebrities like Margaret
Thatcher, Jacques Chirac, George Bush, Helmut Kohl, and Madeleine
Albright.
A DIAMOND FOR STRABAG
On 23 June 2009, it rained diamonds for STRABAG at the
festive Grand Summer Gala of the Business Centre Club (BCC) at
the Royal Castle of Warsaw. These diamonds are a special additional
award given to the winners of the ‘Golden Figurine’, which is presented every year by the BCC to recognize leading Polish companies
and personalities, who or which were instrumental in improving the
CONTACT: Roland Köck, Special Divisions & Concessions,
Division Infrastructure Development 4W
CONTACT DUGOPOLJE: Josip Kuzmanić, Transportation
Infrastructures, Division Austria /CEE 6C, Sub-division Croatia
CONTACT BCC AWARD: Dariusz Slotwinski,
Transportation Infrastructures, Division Poland 6Q
Shaking hands on the successful deal.
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GENERAL MEETING OF STRABAG SE
LET‘S GET TO WORK!
The catchy slogan ‘Let’s get to work!’ was chosen not
only as the title for the Annual Report 2008 but also as
the motto for this year’s 5th Annual General Meeting
of STRABAG SE held at the Vienna Stadthalle.
Austria. On 19 June 2009, at 10:00 o’clock sharp, Hans Peter
Haselsteiner opened the General Meeting of STRABAG SE shareholders with a presentation of the last year’s results and an outlook
on the future.
“I dare say for the STRABAG Group, that – from today’s point of
view – we are in a quite crisis-proof position.” These were the words
of Hans Peter Haselsteiner at the beginning of his address to the
shareholders. This statement is substantiated by the realization of
the ‘millipede principle’, which allows STRABAG to seize the advantages of being based on a multi-pillar foundation in all aspects
technological as well as through its geographic diversification. Yet,
also a solid equity ratio of approximately 30% might provide for
certain opportunities to take advantage of the crisis and, in doing so,
improve the Group’s position in the European competition.
The General Meeting is provided for by company law as the
highest organ of a public company and is to be held once a year. At
this meeting, shareholders are entitled to pose questions to the
Management Board and to vote on basic entrepreneurial issues,
such as profit distribution. This year, roughly 400 shareholders
seized the opportunity to take part in this event.
Some 400 shareholders attended the General Meeting.
OUR SHAREHOLDERS STRUCTURE
Altogether, STRABAG SE has issued 114 million shares, with
the major part thereof, namely 43.3% held by the Raiffeisen NÖ-Wien
and UNIQA Groups, 33.8% by the Haselsteiner Group, and 22.9% in
free float.
CONTACT: Diana Klein,
Service Companies, Corporate Communications
Info + +
Seven Awards for STRABAG
For the STRABAG SE Annual Report 2008, STRABAG’s
Corporate Communications team won no less than seven
awards.
At the LACP Vision Awards, the overall report was honored
with a ‘Gold Award’, and, the team was delighted to also
win the ‘Bronze Award’ for the most creative report in the
region Europe /Middle East /Africa. From among 3,200 entries,
the report made rank 52 with a score of 97 out of 100. With
this result, the report ranks among the world’s 100 top annual
reports of the year 2008.
STRABAG scored another five triumphs at the ARC Awards:
gold for ‘Non-Traditional Annual Report’, gold for ‘Overall
Report in Construction’, silver for ‘Cover Photo and Design’,
silver for ‘Written Text’, and bronze for ‘Printing/Production’.
Kick off of the Annual General Meeting at Stadthalle, Vienna.
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EXHIBITION HALL P
DOORS NOW OPEN
With the opening of Hall P, exhibition space at the Brno
Exhibition Center has grown by about 15,000 m².
STRABAG played the leading role in the construction
of Central Europe’s biggest exhibition hall.
Czech Republic. Some 20,000 people came to witness the
inauguration of the new exhibition hall. The significance of this
project for the Czech economy became obvious when looking at the
number of VIPs present: Vladimír Špidla (Czech EU Commissioner),
Václav Matyáš (President of the Czech Association of Building
Entrepreneurs), Roman Onderka (Mayor of the City of Brno), Martin
Jahn (President of the Czech Automotive Industry Association),
Miroslav Vlcek (Chairman of the Czech House of Representatives),
and František Hirner (STRABAG Managing Director of ZIPP Bratislava spol. s r.o.). The ceremonious opening took place within the
framework of the Autosalon Night event on 5 June 2009, at 7:30 p.m.
This special event allowed for the guests to visit the trade fair
stalls in an out-of-the-ordinary ambience with an extra entertainment program.
STRABAG played the leading part in this EUR 35 mn project,
which stands out for architectural as well as technological details.
Construction work commenced on 3 July 2008. “The hall was
designed as a compact unit with a flat southern wall blending into
a shed roof sloping upward towards the center of the building and
Exhibition Hall Z,” describes Project Manager Radim Bortlík the
project. The building’s foundation rests on piles. The one-of-a-kind
steel construction is composed of a steel-roof structure and
supporting pillars bearing the roof and parts of the exterior wall
cladding. The roof’s main load-bearing structure is formed by
trussed girders of a variable height of up to 3.6 m with two spans
of a total length of 86,2 m and 4.5 m each.
AN INDEPENDENT UNIT
One of the main entrances to the Exhibition Center leads
through the hall’s lobby, where you find ticket counters, a registration
desk, and an information point. The layout of this lobby makes it
possible to use the lobby year-round as an independent unit. “This
architecturally outstanding room can also be used for events like
company functions, exhibitions or fashion shows,” adds Bortlík.
The exhibition section of Hall P is a two-span, single-floor hall
measuring 87 m x 176.9 m that can be divided into two sections with
an inflatable wall. Yet, the most distinctive feature of this unique
building is the diversity of materials used in order to achieve the necessary strainability, bending-down, and structural stability. The new
hall was completed within a construction period of just nine months
and handed over to the client on 11 May 2009. An average of
350 employees were involved in the project.
CONTACT: Radim Bortlík, Building Construction & Civil
Engineering, Division Czech Republic /Slovakia 3J,
Sub-division CZ /Cechy / Morava
Hall P is an architectural and constructional masterpiece on 15,000 m².
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teamconcept
PARTNERSHIP MODEL
TURNS 15
Since 1994, STRABAG has been using and refining its
‘teamconcept’ model, that is geared to the clients’ needs
and desires. This year, this partnering model celebrates
its 15th birthday.
International. “With great pride, we can look back on the last
15 years: A vision has been turned into a concept for success. Today,
roughly a quarter of all turnkey projects at Züblin are implemented
by using this approach,” says Sub-division Manager Olaf Demuth,
STRABAG Sub-division North. “These projects stand out for great
customer satisfaction and positive results.”
A very specific target was aimed at, when the ‘teamconcept’
model was introduced back in 1994: Instead of competing for the
lowest price, the value of the offered services should be moved back
into the client’s focus. The ‘teamconcept’ enables us to offer a comprehensive range of services already in an early project stage.
Adequate contract modules, individually tailored to the needs of
client and project, allow for customized project planning, design and
construction. In 2006, the existing partnership models STRABAG
teamconcept and Züblin Pro ‘teamconcept’ were united.
BUILDING IN A PARTNERSHIP APPROACH
The construction industry had been in search of an all-encompassing solution for a partnership approach to building. As a member
of the ‘Partnership Models in the Construction Industry’ work group
of the Federation of the German Construction Industry, chaired by
Züblin, we helped draft a guideline entitled ‘Partnering in Construction
Projects’ which was published in 2006. In April 2008, at the concrete
and construction technology congress ‘Beton- und Bautechniktag’
of the German Construction Industry in Dresden, the tried-andtested partnership of ECE and Züblin was presented. In a joint presentation, Jens Maier, ECE Projektmanagement, and Olaf Demuth
pointed to the advantages that both partners gain from the teamconcept-based, two-step building and implementation process.
What is indispensible for the success of this model, though, is
that our staff is specifically trained to enable them to ‘sell’ the benefits of a partnership in the early project stage to regular as well as
new clients. Take a look at the BRVZ education and training program
(BRVZ Schulungsprogramm) to learn more about the individual training modules available.
Mutual trust is the basis for the joint solving of problems.
Already during planning, our clients can avail themselves of our
technical know-how and our competence in implementing construction projects. This helps realize projects. “The motto for everyone
involved is to deal with each other in a stress-free manner, based on
an optimum exchange of information and the joint placing of orders
and solving of problems,” emphasizes Demuth.
CONTACT: Olaf Demuth, Building Construction & Civil
Engineering, Division Germany/BNL 2F, Sub-division North
Construction of the ADAC headquarters in Munich is done in the
‘teamconcept’ approach.
www.strabag.com
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‘WASSER BERLIN’ TRADE FAIR 2009
I/44 ČERVENOHORSKÉ SEDLO - NORTH
SUCCESSFUL TRADE SHOW
ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY
Germany. From 31 March to 3 April 2009, innovative products
and services of the international water industry were presented on
the 13th ‘Wasser Berlin’ trade fair. 704 companies, an exhibition
space of 49,000 m², and 34,500 visitors from 79 countries were
a new record. For the first time, STRABAG AG was also present on
this fair as a universal supplier in the fields of closed sewer and duct
construction and pipe renovation. The ‘Wasser Berlin 2009’ trade
show has earned itself a name worldwide as a combination of trade
fair, diverse conferences and trade fair forums. It is a meeting point
for experts from all over the world specializing in solutions in the
field of water.
Czech Republic. For the seventh time already, the association
‘We Build Ecologically’, in cooperation with the Czech Ministry of
the Environment and the Czech Association of Construction Entrepreneurs, organized a competition for the ecologically most valuable
construction project in the Czech Republic.
In a joint effort, the Transportation Infrastructures Sub-divisions
Berlin-Brandenburg (DB), Düsseldorf (DC), and Lower Austria /Vienna /
Burgenland (AD) with their Business Units Berlin, Nordhorn and
Sewage Engineering designed an innovative and highly informative
trade fair booth. “In a pleasant and animated atmosphere we were
able to discuss topics like duct engineering, water pumping or treatment plants, horizontal directional drilling or diverse rehabilitation
procedures with countless planners and architects, and we were
able to establish new contacts,” summarizes Kai Aster, Business Unit
Technical Manager with Sub-division DB. For STRABAG AG, the
participation in this trade fair was a great success.
CONTACT: Kai Aster, Transportation Infrastructures,
Division Germany 6I, Sub-division Berlin/Brandenburg
The target of this competition is to highlight projects, which are
designed in a particularly environment-friendly and landscape-compatible manner, yet are still modern and economical. STRABAG
entered the ‘Road I/44 Červenohorské sedlo – North’ project, which
had been executed by STRABAG a.s., Sub-division Ostrava, as
leader of a joint venture. The project was entered in the category
‘best project execution’ and won the prize for the ecologically best
executed construction project. The prize was awarded at a gala
event on 27 May 2009 held at the Brno Exhibition Center.
František Šváb, Head of Sub-division Ostrava, accepted the
prize for STRABAG and commented: “This award is to the credit of
STRABAG’s ecological efforts.” Project Manager Jan Bužek added
that “apart from the ecological challenges, the execution of this
project was particularly difficult due to the geological and climatic
conditions”.
The some 9 km long road section worth EUR 26 mn is the only
access road to the important Červenohorské sedlo ski and recreation region. Hence, this road is of utmost importance for the regional
tourism industry.
CONTACT: Ladislav Šaro, Transportation Infrastructures,
Division Czech Republic /Slovakia 6O, Sub-division North
A truly eye-catching exhibition booth.
from left: Karel Bláha (Czech Deputy Minister of the Environment),
František Šváb, Jiří Fereš (Czech Environment Ministry)
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Cover Story
RENEWABLE ENERGY
BACK TO ORIGIN –
POWER FROM NATURE
With the demand for energy rising all over the world
and the simultaneous ever-growing scarcity of fossil
fuels, energy costs are surging. This also affects the
construction industry. STRABAG has become aware
of this situation in good time and is doing pioneering
work in this field. We decided that’s reason enough
to dedicate this issue’s cover story to this topic.
International. Renewable energy – or regenerative or alternative
energy as it is also called – is drawn from sustainable resources.
These will remain available continuously within human timescales:
That’s their advantage over fossil and atomic fuels, the supplies of
which are dwindling. From the physical point of view, energy can
neither be used up nor renewed, yet it can be fuelled into systems
and withdrawn again. That’s why the term ‘renewable energy’ is
nowadays usually applied to systems by which energy is channeled
off from environmental processes and fuelled into technical uses.
For decades, energy policies have focused on achieving a secure,
sustainable and socially compatible energy supply. The pushing of
renewable energy resources and the simultaneous seeing to an economic use of energy is a central strategy for the future.
13
Cover Story
inform 18
PROJECT EXAMPLE MONDI
SAVING
RESOURCES
Bulgaria. MONDI is an international manufacturer of packaging material and paper based
in South Africa. In 2006, MONDI produced
approximately 54,000 t of packaging paper out
of wood chips at the Bulgarian Stambolijski mill.
The production process requires steam, which
so far has been generated by using natural gas.
However, with the prices for natural gas rising
and the resources dwindling, MONDI was forced
to react.
A by-product in the production of wood
chips is the bark from the trunks, sludges and
other residues of pulp production. Until now,
these residues were deposited on the factory
premises and the energy needed for production
was generated by gas and liquor recovery boilers.
The energy available from biomass or production
scrap remained mostly unused.
The BioCOM® fluidized bed boiler from h s
energieanlagen gmbh facilitates the utilization of
the energy inherent in the accruing biomass for
the generation of steam and electric power
which are required for the production of paper.
The plant worth EUR 12.3 mn has a furnace
thermal capacity of 35 MW at a steam temperature of 450 °C.
Saving resources by using the right technology.
14
Biom
Already 20 years ago, the team of STRABAG’s Sub-division IF
Environmental Engineering realized the significance of the production
of biogas as an alternative energy resource and set the respective
course early on.
BIOMASS – POWER FROM BOTANY
The term biomass describes all organic material in a defined
ecosystem. Only plants are used as sources of biomass. Because of
their biochemically stored solar energy they can be used as a renewable energy resource.
In fall 2008, STRABAG acquired a 43% share in the company
h s energieanlagen gmbh in order to add to the Group’s know-how
in this field.
Under the brand name BioCOM®, this company produces
turnkey power plants with high-performance steam generators
using fluidized bed combustion. With a step-by-step injection of
combustion air, complete combustion is attained, and thereby
a smaller amount of pollutants produced. Since the plants we are
talking about are for industrial use, they make sense only starting
from capacities of 20 to 100 MW. BioCOM® plants have already
been built in Germany, Austria and Bulgaria, and our current focus is
on the European market. Yet, it is our goal to also enter the global
market. As of today, BioCOM® is the technology leader in this field.
The brand name BioHPR® stands for plants converting biomass into
hydrogen-rich gas to finally decentrally cogenerate power and heat.
These plants are significantly smaller – starting from a capacity of
Two STRABAG-LARAN loop reactors for the generation of biogas
from waste.
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0.1 MW – and are thus also interesting for private customers and
small businesses.
BIOGAS – ENERGY PRODUCED BY FERMENTATION
Biogas is a combustible gas produced by fermentation of
biomass in biogas plants. Methane gas is the most important of its
contents for, as an oxidizing compound, it releases energy during
combustion.
STRABAG Umweltanlagen GmbH is one of Europe’s leading
enterprises in the field of biogas production from diverse input materials, such as liquid manure, waste, or sewage sludge. Yet, renewable
resources, such as plants or plant matter are also used. The
methods used for producing biogas are self-developed and patented, like the tried-and-tested wet digestion in the LARAN® loop
reactor or dry digestion in the LARAN® plug flow reactor. Depending
on the input material, the biogas produced has an energetically
usable methane content of 50 to 70%. Such biogas is mostly used
for gas engines or combined heat and power plants. Alternatively,
biomethane may also be made available to users through the local
gas distribution networks or used as automotive fuel (CNG).
STRABAG uses its own patented technologies and expert
know-how in the field of biogas plants and the upgrading of biogas
to biomethane. In countries, where STRABAG is not yet active in the
biogas sector, patents and licenses are sold, which is also an important line of business.
inform 18
Cover Story
Interview
‘OUR CORE
COMPETENCE’
Gerhard Streimel, Technical Manager
of Sub-division IF.
inform interviewed Gerhard Streimel on the significance of biogas plants.
What significance does biogas have for the
Group?
Our core business is the construction of biogas
plants for diverse input materials, such as liquid
manure, waste, sewage sludge, and renewable
resources. Since we also provide the technology
for biogas plants we generate a higher net product
here than we do with wind or hydropower plants.
Our product and technology range in this field is
unmatched in Europe.
How much energy can a biogas plant generate?
So far, we have built biogas plants, which produce
biogas of an energy content of up to 12,000 KWh/h
(12 MW). This is roughly the amount of energy
needed to continuously supply a small town of
approximately 8,000 four-person households with
electricity and additional heat.
What prospects do you see for the future?
At present, we carry out planning and construction
of such plants for clients – public as well as private
ones. In the future, we also plan to operate such
plants. The first such management projects are in
the pipeline.
Thank you for the interview!
left: Pulper mashing waste fractions prior to wet digestion.
right: Agitator drives for dry digestion reactors.
15
Cover Story
OFFSHORE WIND PARK
WIND POWER
ON THE HIGH SEAS
Germany. Offshore wind power utilization
has started to boom. ‘Offshore’ means the utilization of wind energy over the sea. Power generated by offshore wind parks can and shall play
a major role in future energy and climate policies.
The high wind speeds over the sea promise
an enormous energy potential. Yet, there’s still
a lot to be done before electricity can flow. The
requirements on manufacture, transportation and
installation of wind power plants are much higher
at sea than on land.
The potential of offshore wind energy is
nearly unlimited. By 2030, in Germany alone, the
maritime power plants are supposed to meet
some 15% of the electricity demand. 1,500 pilot
plants in the German North and Baltic Seas have
already been approved. The core competence of
Züblin /STRABAG in the field of offshore wind
power plants is the design and construction of
foundations as well as the construction of entire
plants. The Group has been investing consistently in relevant R&D as well as in the necessary
equipment and has so provided the basis for
innovative solutions for all locations. Since 2001,
we have been developing innovative concepts
and technologies for offshore wind power plants
and have elaborated customized solutions for
every single project.
Offshore: a promising segment.
16
Wi
inform 18
Wind energy is the kinetic energy associated with the movement
of atmospheric air. It is an indirect form of solar energy and is
classed among the renewable energies.
WIND ENERGY – THE POWER OF THE WEATHER
Humans have been using the wind for centuries in their strive
to win energy from the environment. Environmentalists stress the
fact that this type of energy is particularly future-proof, for there will
always be wind.
STRABAG has been banking on wind power for ten years and
has its own wind energy competence center with DYWIDAG Bau
GmbH, Sub-division Structural Engineering. With the development
of windmills of ever higher performances and realizing that the
power output in higher air layers is bigger, ever taller and stronger
towers were required. Here, the typically used steel towers hit their
limits in terms of structural stability and cost-effectiveness. Consequently, new solutions were called for and the way was paved for
the development of prestressed concrete towers and for DYWIDAG
to make itself a name in this sector.
150 PRESTRESSED CONCRETE TOWERS
Already back in 1998, we built the first vertically prestressed
conical tower for a 1.6 MW plant with a hub height of 100 m. In the
beginning, this was done using climbing formwork, yet with an inter-
4.5 MW wind power plant E112.
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nal diameter at the tower head of just 1.8 m, self-climbing was no
longer possible, and crane-climbing became necessary. Since the
towers are of course built in locations known for their strong
breezes, the weather often caused major construction delays and
financial loss. The introduction of slipforming brought the necessary
results for it allows for working under almost all wind conditions and
warrants quality and schedule compliance.
inform 18
Cover Story
Interview
UPSWING DESPITE
ECONOMIC CRISIS
Owing to a close cooperation between customers, design engineers, and our staff, we succeeded in optimizing the towers’ quality
and thereby improve their cost-effectiveness. The construction of
a gearless windmill with a capacity of 4.5 MW and a hub height
of 124 m really was a quantum leap. The prototype was erected
in 2001 with more of them to follow. Meanwhile, these windmills
have a capacity of up to 7.5 MW!
The towers are constructed turnkey, which means that the client
can have the mechanical and electrical parts installed immediately
upon completion of the tower. We have been offering this type of
construction successfully throughout Germany. Nevertheless, in
order to guarantee success, we need to work out concrete formulas
and test them for every single location under diverse temperatures
and slip velocities to find the optimum combination of cement,
cement content, and dosage and type of superplasticizers.
Through innovations, quality and schedule compliance,
DYWIDAG Bau GmbH has given itself a competitive edge and has
managed to efficiently construct some 150 prestressed concrete
towers for wind power plants in Germany within just ten years.
Gerd Wagner, Business Unit Manager
at Sub-division IJ
inform interviewed Gerd Wagner on the topic of
wind energy and its significance for the Group.
What significance does wind power have for
the Group?
The construction of (onshore) wind power plants has
a more than ten-year-old tradition at our sub-division and my business unit. We have managed to
build up technical know-how that has given us a
competitive edge. Wind energy is a growth market
of great importance to us throughout Europe.
What about offshore wind parks?
The Group’s investment in the Offshore Basis
Cuxhaven – for the construction of concrete foundations for offshore wind power plants – put us in
a very good market position for the future. And we,
i.e. Sub-division IJ, are also ready to let our experience won in onshore projects flow into the new
developments.
What prospects do you see for the future?
The saying that ‘Every mill is a future gas station’
is gaining in importance. For us, this means that
we use, intensify, and expand our relationships
with investors, plant builders, and operators. The
requirements of our potential clients are becoming
more and more comprehensive: Ever more often
they ask for the complete, turnkey infrastructure of
wind parks. Our Group is in a position to carry out
such projects, and we see great potential in the
construction of wind power plants.
Thank you for the interview!
Wind Park Larreiter Polder in Emden, Germany.
17
Cover Story
inform 18
HYDROPOWER PLANT CENTRAL QUILLECO
WATER POWER FOR
55,000 HOUSEHOLDS
Wat
The utilization of hydropower as a clean and emission-free way
of generating electricity has a longstanding tradition. Here, turbines
and generators turn the kinetic energy of flowing water into electric
power.
HYDROPOWER – ELECTRICITY FROM THE RIVER
In former days, hydropower was directly used in mills for grinding grains. Today, electricity generated by run-of-river power plants
provides for base-load power supply while hydropower plants with
reservoirs in the mountains are used for peak-load power generation.
In the pioneering days, it were the technological aspects that were
in the center of hydropower plant development, yet in the more
recent past, environmental aspects have gained in importance, and
new power plants must fulfill ever-stricter requirements.
With 464 GWh/year, twice the energy demand of
the City of Los Angeles can be met in Chile.
Chile. In Quilleco on the Rio Laja, 500 km
south of Santiago, Züblin built a 70 MW hydropower plant for the Chilean energy supplier
Colbun S.A. A 1,037 m long rectangular canal
running through sloping ground with a crosssection of 8 m x 6 m and a 3,532 m long trapezoidal canal were built within a period of 26 months.
The central section is a 3,271 m long tunnel with
a cross-section of 66 m². The last section comprises intake basin, powerhouse, outlet canal,
spillway, chute and stilling basin. The water is led
through canals and the tunnel to a reservoir, from
where it flows through two downpipes of a diameter of 4.4 m and a length of 78 m each to arrive
at two Francis turbines. Each of these turbines
has an installed capacity of 35 MW, and together
they produce electric power for some 55,000
households.
Aside from the combustion of quickly replenishing biomaterials,
the exploitation of hydropower is – historically seen – the most
important utilization of a regenerative energy resource. We have
already built large dam plants in many countries. From high concrete
dams in the mountains the water is led through steep penstocks to
power stations, which are often built in underground caverns down
in the valley. The most recent example is the cavern powerhouse of
Kopswerk II in Vorarlberg, Austria, which we finished in 2007.
Moreover, the STRABAG Group has already built gigantic
structures for run-of-river power plants on all continents. Such power
stations use the potential height difference between headwater and
tailwater which may range from just some meters to more than 150 m.
The water volume available in large rivers, such as the Paraná River
This hydropower plant was built in three
phases and involved approximately 525 staff, in
the main phase even up to 1,000. Delivery and
assembly of the Francis turbines was not part of
Züblin’s contract.
18
With a capacity of 31.5 MW, the Langkampfen power plant generates
up to 169 GWh of electricity per year.
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in Argentina is far above 10,000 m³ per second. For comparison, the
water volume flowing down the River Danube at the point where it
spreads out into the Danube Delta is 6,350 m³ per second. “The
energy to be generated by a hydropower plant depends directly
on the usable height difference between headwater and tailwater
and the water volume,” explains Christof Sänger, Head of Central
Division Zentrale Technik.
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Cover Story
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
POWER FROM
THE SOIL
A special challenge when implementing run-of-river projects is
that we need to construct in the river or must divert the river around
the construction pit which we require for barrage construction. For
this purpose, depending on the water volume to be expected at
high water, we use artificial riverbeds or mined diversion tunnels to
temporarily divert the river.
The building of structures used for the exploitation of hydropower is deemed one of the most demanding structural engineering
tasks. This applies to planning and design as well as to construction
itself. The STRABAG Group can boast tremendous technological
and operative know-how in this field.
1,001 EXAMPLES OF OUR SUCCESS
Examples of dam plants with capacities of 60 to 85 MW can be
found along the Rivers Rhine, Danube, and Inn. The damming of the
Yellow River Huang-He at Xiaolangdi in China is much more impressive and provides for a capacity of 1,800 MW. One of the most outstanding projects is the Yacyreta Dam, a huge 3,200 MW run-of-river
power plant between Argentina and Paraguay at the River Paraná.
STRABAG sets a good example by using
geothermal energy.
Austria. The use of geothermal energy stored
in the earth is gaining ever more in importance.
This energy is won either through the direct use
of groundwater or borehole heat exchangers, with
heat pumps conditioning it for consequent use.
STRABAG’s headquarters building in Vienna
was the first building of such size in Europe in
which all the thermal energy needed is drawn
from the soil. 68 km of pipes laid in bored piles
provide for the heat exchange between soil and
heat pumps. This allows for heating and cooling
the entire building. Only the power needed for
driving the heat pumps is drawn from the public
power network. With 1.7 GWh of electric power,
for example, the system produces 4.6 GWh
of heating and cooling energy. The investment
paid off within less than four years. Because of
the very encouraging results, such geothermal
plants have meanwhile been installed at various
STRABAG buildings.
Geothermal energy can also be used for
tunnels, bridges and road construction projects.
“The know-how of TGA Vienna, a Sub-division of
Zentrale Technik, is available to everyone in the
group. Using this technology shall help strengthen
the Group’s market position,” emphasizes Subdivision Manager Miklos Nikolics.
The storage power plants Borcka and Murati in the northeastern part
of Turkey generate 1,039 GWh of electricity a year.
19
People at STRABAG
inform 18
“50 m per second from an altitude of 4,000 m – a terrific feeling
of freedom,” describes Lukasz Slomka his 60 second-long free
fall.
Concentrate – take one more deep breath – JUUUUUUUMP …
20
www.strabag.com
inform 18
People at STRABAG
STRABAG PERSONNEL IN THE SPOTLIGHT
ALL JUST A BIT DIFFERENT
The section on STRABAG personnel, People at STRABAG,
is where we show you facets of your colleagues which
you perhaps haven’t known. After-work chilling, bicycle
riding or vacationing – yet all of it in a slightly different
way.
Poland /Austria /Hungary. How do you relax after work? Do
you watch TV, do you read or take a walk? All this is much too boring
for Lukasz Slomka. For him, parachuting is the best way to spend
his leisure time. “It’s a breathtaking feeling,” describes Lukasz from
HEILIT+WOERNER in Wroclaw his hobby. “Already on the way to
the airfield you are thrilled to bits.”
The atmosphere on the airfield is one-of-a-kind. You can smell
the adrenaline in the air. A last check before boarding the plane:
jumpsuit, the right shoes, protective helmet, eye protection goggles,
altimeter, and of course, the chute. In most cases, it is a Turbolet
L-410, which within just 15 minutes, takes the chutists to the jump
altitude of 4,000 m. On the plane they use the time to mentally
prepare themselves for the dive.
60 SECONDS IN FREE FALL
2,000 m: A glance at the altimeter and listening to what the
instructor’s saying. 3,000 m: The adrenaline’s flowing, the pupils are
dilating, and the heart’s racing. 3,500 m: Is everything in the right
place? 4,000 m: Yellow light – it’s almost time! The door is opened,
and the roaring of the engines mixes with the noise of the wind. Now
the green light flashes. Another deep breath and: JUMP! Adrenaline
rushes through the body. Lukasz enjoys the fall: “I turn left, then
right, and back again, I cut the air like a knife.” But beware, always
check the altimeter: 2,000 m … 1,700 m … 1,500 m. Shortly, you
must open the chute. 1,300 m – a quick pull of the cord and you’re
thrust upward – the chute has opened. Moving in circles, you aim at
the target point on the airfield – adrenaline and blood pressure are
settling, and you are overcome with an ecstatic feeling of happiness.
The last meters in free fall … 200 m … 100 m … 50 m … the earth
is coming closer and closer until you finally hit the ground and the
chute’s canopy spreads out around you. You are enjoying an intense
rush of happiness … and now?
You got it: Lukasz packs up his chute and gets ready for his
next jump.
21
People at STRABAG
inform 18
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IF THE REAR RIDER STOPS PEDALING …
the front rider suffers – and vice versa! Tandem biking obviously
is a different way of biking.
Eveline Zweibrot, who has been working at the clearing center
of BRVZ Spittal /Drau since 1998, learned how to ride a bicycle
like any other child, namely on a conventional bicycle for
just one rider. But as soon as she was tall enough
Paraly
to mount a tandem, she started biking around
m
together with her sister Andrea. “I’m the front
rider – the pilot – and my sister, as she is blind,
is the rear rider – the stoker. I soon found out
on
that it is much more fun to ride around together,”
don
says Eveline enthusiastically.
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After a while, however, it just wasn’t enough any more to just
ride around on weekends without a goal. The ladies needed a new
‘kick’ and so they looked for a new challenge. “In 2006, we took part
in the Austrian Disabled Championship for the first time, and we
came in fourth place,” remembers Eveline proudly. In the meantime,
the sisters have also won bronze and silver medals. Only gold is yet
missing. “And, that’s a goal worth practising for: To make it to the
very top of the victory pedestal!” raves Eveline.
Riding the bike together is not just easier, it’s much more fun, too.
The Demonstration Event for Tandems two years ago at the
annual ‘Grazer Altstadtkriterium’ bicycle race held in the Styrian
capital of Graz was a particularly special event for us. “We were
allowed to ride the pilot tandem in front of the world elite of bicycle
racers,” remembers Eveline.
For this season, Eveline and Andrea have great plans – they are
already either qualified or have at least signed up for the Austrian
National Championship, some marathons and sprint as well as middle-distance triathlons. “For these races we bought a new racing
tandem. It only weighs 13 kg,” says Eveline proudly about her twowheel Porsche, and adds: “With this racing tandem we want to
qualify for the Paralympics 2012 in London.”
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inform 18
People at STRABAG
Wanted!
How do you relax after work? Are you socially active? Do
you have extraordinary talents? Do you collect anything
unusual? We know that our employees have extraordinary
talents that are not only associated with the world of work.
Since we are interested in all areas of staff’s lives, in the next
issue of inform we would like to profile people who are not
only top performers at work. Are you one of these? Or do
you know a colleague, who has unusual skills or interests?
Perhaps you work together with a bookworm, who has built
up an extensive collection of books at home? Or perhaps
a colleague, who is particularly successful at a sporting
activity? If so, we’d love to hear from you: STRABAG SE,
Corporate Communications, Barbara Saulich.
Everything can happen in the border region between Morocco and
Mauritania. The impressions left their marks.
VACATIONING IN DIFFERENT WORLDS
Spending your holidays in Africa not necessarily has to be
something extraordinary. For Zsuzsa Nagy, from BMTI in Budapest,
however, this is a totally different story. On 17 January 2009 she took
off for an adventure. Starting point was Budapest, from where she
traveled via Venice and Monte Carlo to Tarifa. After a stormy
passage on the ferry, Zsuzsa finally arrived at Tanger, in Africa. In this
port town she got a first real impression of Africa – a hustle and
bustle of people of all ethnic backgrounds. And, after her first night
under a clear, starlit sky, the next adventure was already waiting for
her. Four cars got stuck in the wet sand on the coast and could only
be freed and saved from the incoming tide by using all physical
strength.
PURE ADVENTURE IN NO MAN’S LAND
so-called NO MAN’S LAND,” tells Zsuzsa Nagy. “It is a region
without laws, where everything may happen. It is the hotbed of
crime.” For hours they were left in suspense at the border and had to
suffer fastidious police checks. Yet even this was worth it. “We had
finally arrived at the ocean and it was a priceless feeling to see water
again after endless stretches of sand,” describes Zsuzsa her feelings at this moment. Via Kiffa, the adventurers finally arrived at their
travel destination: Mali. There, in the little village of Diema, Zsuzsa
gave away little presents, donations and food. “When I handed out
packages of hazelnuts, the people had no idea of what could be in
these packs,” smiles Zsuzsa.
The openness and friendliness of these people was great and
made the adventurers very happy. Back home, they can live on their
memories of fantastic and exhausting adventures. Aside from different cultures, they got a first hand impression of poverty. “This left
a deep mark on my life and I now see the world through slightly
different eyes,” says Zsuzsa.
How could this adventure be topped? They didn’t have to wait
long. “The border region between Morocco and Mauritania is the
23
STRABAG Units
inform 18
Contract Management
NEW WAYS
TO PREVENT FLOPS
For one year, Contract Management has been in charge
measures that had been applied for some years had not brought
any significant improvement. It was therefore decided at the
corporate convention on 4 April 2008 that new measures need
to be adopted. For every Division one Flop Prevention Officer
(Flopvermeidungsbeauftragter, FVB) was to be appointed, and Flop
Analysts (FA) in the Contract Management Division, who must keep
tabs on the project figures. These FVBs and FAs have been in office
since the beginning of 2009. With their help, quantified analyses
have been carried out and tools for flop prevention developed.
of flop analysis and prevention. What exactly does this
mean?
International. For a number of years, flop prevention has been
a central issue also addressed in our Group Principles. There are
now new systems and tools available to support the operating
units in achieving their targets. inform took a closer look.
WHAT IS A FLOP?
This colloquial term stands for failure. But, when can we say
that a project was or is a flop? There is a complex mathematical
definition – and, the BRVZ additionally distinguishes between negative particularities of a result and flops. But, put simply: A construction
project is deemed a ‘flop’ as soon as a clear loss shows in
the books. At such a stage, a project is not necessarily already completed, for a clear loss can
already show while a
project is still running.
Consequently, every
project, which negatively
affects the Group’s
results is deemed a flop.
In the business year
2007, our Group suffered
a decrease in results
due to flops in the
astronomical amount
of EUR 355 mn. So,
the flop prevention
BACK TO THE ROOTS – WHAT HAS REALLY HAPPENED?
Back to the roots: Under this motto the so-called original
causes shall be scrutinized. From this year on, causes of flops have
been collected and categorized systematically, in structured processes, and on the basis of cost accounting data.
In the search for the cause of a flop, we need to trace the
cause-effect-chain to its source and will thereby either come upon
a decision made e.g. during pricing or construction, or upon a risk
that turned out badly, like e.g. the contract partner’s insolvency.
IMPORTANT ASPECT: OUR ‘MISTAKE CULTURE’
From our experience we can say that about one third of flops
are due to commercial and technical risks (that are unavoidable in
our industry), and two thirds are caused by management failures.
So, it’s yet again the human component that’s decisive. In order to
learn from mistakes, to correct them as far as possible, and to
prevent a repetition, we require a modern and open culture of handling failure and mistakes. Often, it is false pride (‘resistance to
advice’) in management decisions that causes mistakes. It is thus in
the Group’s interest to discuss problems or cases of mistrust that
have happened and to find solutions. The insights won in this
process are of value for all other construction sites. However, it is
important not to name and shame anybody but, rather, to learn from
mistakes.
CONTACT: Peter Fischer, Service Companies,
Central Staff Division Contract Management
24
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inform 18
STRABAG Units
Peter Fischer: “Even
though we have a good
mistake culture – we still
need to work on it.”
IN DISCUSSION
KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER
AS KEY TO SUCCESS
The editor of inform spoke to Peter Fischer, Head of
Central Staff Division Contract Management about flop
prevention.
What do you think are the reasons behind a flop?
Frequent reasons are that people are either too venturesome, save
too much, or are resistant to advice, or it is a lack of knowledge
transfer. We can understand that risks need to be taken, but there
must be a healthy chance-risk-balance. Unfortunately, we are sometimes too eager to take risks. That’s where the risk-chance-balance
needs to be watched more closely. An interesting phenomenon is
that bad projects usually get worse and good projects get better.
This might be because site managers start saving and might easily
save the job to death. Due to budget restraints, they take a pass on
spending money on management resources or services, which in
the end are necessary.
As far as ‘resistance to advice’ is concerned: Everybody makes
mistakes. Because of our mentality – because of the image of the
Info + +
Tasks and Targets of Contract Management
It was decided in the STRABAG Group to control the task of
contract management centrally and across business segments to so win a competitive edge. The core task of the
Central Staff Division Contract Management is to assist its
operating colleagues in a comprehensive manner in commercial issues and, in particular, when dealing with difficult claims.
The goal is to optimally protect the rights of the Group, if
project targets are changed during construction, and to maximize the earnings. In 2008, the Contract Management Division
was entrusted with the additional task of analyzing flops.
For more information on flop prevention please visit
STRANET / Konzern / Contract Management.
‘strong STRABAG’ – we think that we can do everything, and
without help at that. We are not ready to admit mistakes or to
discuss them and learn from them, or to accept new knowledge
and also to pass it on.
How can we improve our own ‘mistake culture’?
What is important is a ‘top-down’ flow of information. Open communication – for which the management has to set an example –
plays an important role in the culture of handling failure and
mistakes. Compared to other construction companies, I think that
our mistake culture is largely o.k., but we still have to work on it.
What are the key elements of flop prevention?
The basic principle is to counteract not only then when the flop has
already occurred. Early indicators and fact-based analyses shall
help identify causes of flops more quickly and more accurately.
Here, a strict selection and diligent price committees shall help
prevent flops. Also important is a close internal cooperation between
the operating units and the Service Companies.
What happens with the collected data?
The figures, data, and facts are collected and analyzed, and the
insights won from them (for example through early indicators) are
discussed in detail in an anonymized and segment-specific way.
This also serves the purpose of knowledge networking and helps us
offer customized measures, such as training seminars for existing
and future projects.
What other improvement measures are planned?
Of utmost importance is that lessons learned – positive as well as
negative ones – are passed on. The business-segment-specific flop
discussions provide for an open communication forum from which
everyone can learn. Open communication is the key to effective
knowledge networking and, consequently, to successful work.
Thank you for the interview!
25
STRABAG Units
inform 18
SCOT & STRAthek
STRABAG BANKS
ON NEW TOOLS
STRABAG is building up its IT power: In fall 2009,
BRVZ IT is going to launch the pilot operation of the new
Group-wide tool named ‘SCOT’, which is to be used for
service contract management. Early 2010, another tool
will follow with the STRABAG software STRAthek, which
quite a while to be developed. In the future, all service inquiries will
be handled via this tool. Users will also have the possibility to visit
a ‘webshop’, where they can order IT articles according to Group
standards. With an order tracking system, the progress of the order
can be checked at any time. The advantage of this tool is that it
facilitates the cross-border standardization of processes and procedures, and the cross-departmental exploitation of synergies. Pilot
operation of the tool in Germany and Austria shall be launched in
autumn 2009. The group-wide introduction is scheduled for the end
of 2010.
CONTACT: Stefan Raisinger, Thomas Hanschitz,
Sabine Felber, Oliver Punz, Service Companies,
Central Division BRVZ 02, Sub-division BRVZ IT
aims at one-off data collection, central data maintenance, and uniform reporting.
International. The objective of BRVZ IT is to react as swiftly as
possible to its customers’ demands. Due to the massive growth of
the company, the surging number of users, and the increasing IT
penetration, entrenched processes need to be adapted to new
structures. “The basic idea of optimizing work processes and of
making them more efficient for our colleagues, i.e. for our customers, came up in the year 2007,” explains Project Manager Stefan
Raisinger. Neither the existing tools nor additional personnel allowed
for sufficiently meeting the needs of the users. Therefore, an ultimate
and internationally applicable tool had to be found.
Info + +
New Service Concept for Austria
BEAM ME UP SCOT
On 30 August 2007, the project named ‘SCOT’ was introduced.
“SCOT is the abbreviation for ‘Several Companies One Tool’ – a tool
to be used throughout the Group.” Behind the simple name hides
a complex service, ticket, and order tracking system, which took
26
Since the ‘Service Desk’ has proven a success in Germany for
many years, we have started implementing this concept
step-by-step in Austria, too, in the second quarter of 2009.
For the purpose of increasing efficiency, the Service Desk (to
be reached under +43 (0) 820 820 855) serves as the central
contact point. Usually, our qualified service employees are
in a position to answer the greatest part of the incoming
questions on the phone right away. Questions that cannot
be answered immediately will be passed on internally in
a structured manner.
www.strabag.com
STRATHEK – ALL AT ONE GLANCE
A project’s lifecycle in STRAthek starts with the collection of
data in the tendering phase and ends for completed projects with
the electronic generation of reference information, data, and documents. STRAthek is another web-based tool to be used throughout
the Group and is thus multi-lingual and can be accessed from all
over the world.
inform 18
STRABAG Units
Divisions (Zentrale Technik, Contract Management, CLS), which assist
the operating units in acquiring contracts. And, the data stored
in STRAthek can also be used for local and Group-wide tender
statistics and analyses.
Last but not least, this new tool will also help improve the
knowledge and experience exchange within the Group, for it provides technical information and internal contacts for our finished
projects.
STRAthek is going to take the place of the various systems that
have been used in the STRABAG Group so far, such as Infothek or
Astat. After a pilot phase in the second half-year of 2009, during
which the system’s readiness for practical use is checked, the basic
version of the software will be introduced step-by-step in all
segments and in all countries. Following this, further modules and
interfaces will be gradually added.
PROJECT LIFECYCLE
With STRAthek, a comprehensive, Group-wide tool for the
tracking of projects is being introduced.
STRATHEK AIMS AT ...
easing and improving contract acquisition by providing references
and customer information for acquisition and prequalification,
harmonizing tenders within the Group by providing access to already known inquiries or tender procedures, and
the administration of projects in the operating units by way of standardized analysis tools and project lists.
Another goal of STRAthek is to support and improve internal
reporting by way of a largely automated generation and distribution
of forms for tender notice and selection, price committee, and construction-kick-off notice.
CONTACT: Stefan Ebner, Service Companies,
Central Division BRVZ 02, Sub-division BRVZ IT
In order to prevent multiple data collection in diverse systems,
STRAthek also provides uniform basis data of projects for other
applications (Arriba, Strabis, project report, etc.) and users. Additionally, STRAthek serves as a source of information for the Service
27
Building Construction & Civil Engineering Projects
inform 18
OperaTower
NEW FLAIR
FOR FRANKFURT
Right on schedule, at the end of September 2009, the new
landmark in the skyline of the Main metropolis was completed. Directly opposite the Alte Oper (Frankfurt’s historic
opera house) the OperaTower rises 170 m into the sky and
brings a new flair to the historic surroundings.
main columns and the façade supports up to the 25th upper floor,
high-strength reinforcement steel SAS 670 /800 was used. In order
to provide for extra stability, bars of diameters of up to 75 mm were
chosen.
LOGISTICAL MASTERPIECE
This downtown construction site had to fulfill enormous safety
requirements and was a tremendous logistical challenge for everyone
involved. Due to the extremely limited storage and assembly
space, type and amounts of construction materials had to be tuned
exactly to the construction schedule. The construction of the tower
alone required some 6,250 truck loads of concrete – a logistic
masterpiece that speaks for itself. The tower’s construction pit
as well as its foundation slab were built by a consortium under
the technical lead of Züblin Spezialtiefbau GmbH. Approximately
Germany. With 46 stories and a usable office space of approximately 60,000 m², the tower of Germany’s sixth-highest building is
an imposing sight in the heart of Frankfurt. Annexed to the tower is
a seven-story podium building. The Züblin Sub-divisions Stuttgart /
Komplettbau and Central worked at full speed on the turnkey completion of this complex. UBS Germany is the key tenant of the object
and occupies some 40,000 m². With another four tenants, 76% of
the building’s space is currently taken.
RECONCILING HISTORY AND MODERNITY
The OperaTower as well as the perimeter buildings are sporting
appealing façades. Most of the 60,500 m² of façade area consist of
aluminum /glass and natural stone elements. “The goal was to make
the building blend optimally into its historic surroundings, but, at the
same time, endow it with a modern office building character,”
explains the project management. Although the tower is well-integrated into its surroundings in terms of optical appearance, it still
stands out for its one-of-a-kind architectural design. The four vertical
recesses in the building’s façade, as well as the highlighted pilaster
strips framing the glass on the broadsides, lend elegant proportions
to the tower.
Construction period: 27 months
Contract volume: approx. EUR 185 mn
Gross cubic volume: 415,000 m³
Height of tower: 170 m
The shell of the standard floors could be built in a regular fourday-cycle. Construction of the two reinforced-concrete cores with
3.63 m concrete lift heights was done in advance using 16 selfclimbing formwork units. “In some parts, walls and slabs could be
concreted in one single operation,” remembers the project management. In all, about 52,000 m³ of in-situ concrete and 5,400 m³ of
precast concrete components were used. For the concrete cast
in-situ, some 9,000 t of reinforcement steel were required. For the
History and modernity in peaceful harmony.
28
www.strabag.com
5,700 m³ of concrete, i.e. some 700 truck loads, and 3,000 tons of
steel went into the 3 to 4.5 m thick foundation slab. Interior finishing
required the same quality of materials and workmanship. The investor paid particular attention to the impressive, 18 m high, naturalstone-clad ground floor lobby. Hybrid heating and cooling ceilings
made of metal were installed for the air-conditioning of the office
areas. As needed, these ceilings are supplied with either hot or cold
water. The cooling capacity of the refrigerating machines is 7,000 KW,
and the heat output achieved by long-distance heating is 9,000 KW.
The system is supported by the introduction of pre-conditioned air.
The ventilation system, at full capacity, has a performance of
1,000,000 cbm /h. The building is equipped with 24 elevators with a
maximum speed of 6 m/sec. In the case of a power failure, three
independently operating 2,250 kVA emergency diesel generators
take over. A full-area sprinkler system provides for fire protection in
the building. The fire alarm system together with extensive desmoking
measures provides for the building’s high safety standard.
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Building Construction & Civil Engineering Projects
With its 170 m, the OperaTower is even higher than the Cologne
Cathedral.
ADDED VALUE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
For the people of Frankfurt, the construction of the OperaTower
also meant the expansion of one of the city’s most popular green
spaces. Some 5,500 m² of space could be reclaimed for the Rothschildpark. In addition to the extra space, the park was also
upgraded by new plants. The park will help reduce the formation of
an urban heat island over the city center, for green areas absorb heat
much better than concrete or asphalt. And, what’s more, valuable
rainwater can percolate again.
CONTACT: Michael Kubon, Karl-Heinz Teichmann,
Otto Rentschler, Building Construction & Civil Engineering,
Division Germany 2C, Sub-division Stuttgart
Hightech in every corner.
29
Building Construction & Civil Engineering Projects
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Siemens City
A CITY IN THE CITY
With its Siemens City, Siemens is currently developing its
biggest real estate project. STRABAG was commissioned
to carry out the project together with PORR.
Austria. “The project developers aimed at harmonizing the
urban density distribution with the outside appearance as well as the
internal networking and communication of the global player Siemens
on this formerly enclosed lot,” explains Project Manager Franz Dallinger. This building complex in the 21st city district of Vienna shall
become the center of activities of one of Austria’s biggest industrial
enterprises.
The project comprises four buildings, connected by the socalled ‘Communication Line’, which is deemed the ‘heart of the
Siemens City’. This light-flooded structure connects the buildings on
ground level and will contain diverse infrastructural facilities. Besides
shops and a bank outlet, the Communication Line will be used for
product presentations, events, exhibitions, and as a lounge. The
twelve-story Siemens Tower consists of two wings standing in a
110 degree angle towards each other, resulting in a Y-shaped layout.
“Due to the high loads, the building is based on 144 large-diameter
bored piles, each having a length of 30 to 35 m,” describes Dallinger.
By helping extract heat from the soil, these piles play a vital role
Bird’s eye view of the some 48 ha Siemens City plot.
30
in the concrete core cooling system that is used for heating
the object. With a gross floor area of approximately 36,800 m², the
tower with its entirely transparent façade will provide room for about
1,800 work places.
Construction start: 14 March 2008
Total completion: 29 May 2010
Contract volume: EUR 25.5 mn
Concrete volume: approx. 46,500 m³
South of the Communication Line, the elliptical ‘Forum’ is taking
shape. The gross floor area of this four-story building is approximately 8,000 m². Apart from a restaurant area, it will contain conference and seminar rooms. In addition to the aforementioned
structures, another two buildings with five stories each will be built.
With these so-called ‘Nordspangen’, another 32,600 m² of gross
floor space for 1,200 work places are added to the project.
A BREAK ON THE GRASS
It was of importance for the planners to also integrate a green
belt into the project. This green belt shall serve as recreational space
for the staff. A water basin south of the Communication Line will
help improve the microclimate. Cars will be parked in a single-level
underground garage to not disturb the park atmosphere.
CONTACT: Franz Dallinger, Building Construction & Civil
Engineering, Division Austria 3C, Sub-division Vienna (AP)
www.strabag.com
inform 18
Building Construction & Civil Engineering Projects
CRANE HOUSE SOUTH
A LANDMARK FOR COLOGNE
On 8 May 2009, the staff of Ed. Züblin AG could finally
relax – the stress of the preceding months was over.
Crane House South [or ‘Crane House plus’, as it is also
called] in Cologne’s Rheinau Port was completed on
schedule and handed over.
Germany. “The large-scale urban building project running
under the title ‘Redevelopment of Rheinau Port’ provides for
three new prominent waterfront landmarks in Cologne: the Crane
Houses North, Center, and South,” explains Wolfgang Schmidt, the
responsible Construction Supervisor. On the spit between the River
Rhine and Cologne’s yacht harbor, framed by the German Sport &
Olympia Museum and the old Port Authority building, a modern
office and housing quarter is taking shape which is dominated architecturally by the three 60 m high Crane Houses.
Crane House South was completed within a construction period
of slightly less than two years. The progress of the entire building
construction depended strongly on the scaffolding system chosen
for supporting the building’s cantilevering bridge stories. Zentrale
Technik examined a number of possible solutions with a view to the
necessary length of time the scaffolding was required to stand,
structural stability of the superstructure, load-bearing capacity, and
suitability for installing the downward facing façade. Also to be taken
into consideration were the foundation of the heavy-duty scaffolding
on and beside the existing underground parking garage and right
next to the quay wall as well as the requirement of a smooth flow of
traffic on and through the construction site.
Construction period: 22 months
Contract volume: EUR 35 mn
Gross floor area: 21,200 m²
Max. number of staff on site: 150
Crane House South is the second of the altogether three Crane
Houses rising into the sky from the Rhine river bank. Approximately
70 m long, 34 m wide, and 62 m high, with a rectangular front view,
the 17-story building has a striking shape resembling a crane so
typical for a port location. This shape was achieved in the following
way.
The two Crane Houses lend the Rhine waterfront a totally new look.
HIGH-TECH building MATERIALS USED
The western main tower block reaching from ground level up to
the ninth story forms a massive right angle of equal width with the
five-story transverse frame structure situated above. At the height of
the longitudinal axis, this transverse structure is supported by an
eastern, much slenderer, secondary tower. “For this project we used
high strength, grade C60/75 concrete as bulk concrete, in a quantity
never before installed in Germany,” describes Schmidt a particularity
of the project. In all, 12,000 m³ of grade C30/37 to C60/75 concrete
were used together with roughly 2,500 t of reinforcing and prestressing steel, which is roughly the load of 80 trucks.
CONTACT CRANE HOUSE SOUTH: Wolfgang Schmidt,
Building Construction & Civil Engineering, Division
Germany / BNL 2F, Sub-division North Rhine-Westphalia
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Building Construction & Civil Engineering Projects
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Construction of the fourth 150,000 m³ LNG tank in Sagunto, Spain.
Construction of the base slab for LNG tank Nynäshamn. The import
terminal will have an annual capacity of 3 TWh.
LNG TANKS
SUCCESSFUL ALL OVER THE GLOBE
PIONEERS AT WORK
Since December 2008, Sub-division MJ has been awarded
three new contracts for LNG tank design and prestressing works.
Since the 1960s, when the transportation of natural
gas in its liquefied form was introduced, DYWIDAG has
been a pioneer in the development of LNG storage
systems.
International. More than 40 years ago, DYWIDAG developed
its first protective container. Since then, DYWIDAG has been
involved in the design and construction of far more than 50 LNG
(liquefied natural gas) and LPG (liquefied petrol gas) full-containment
tanks. “Full containment means that an outer tank, which is entirely
(i.e. bottom plate, wall and roof) made of concrete, protects an inner
tank made of 9% nickel steel,” explains Hamish Douglas, Business
Unit Manager for LNG of Sub-division MJ. The main function of this
concrete shell is to protect the stored, highly-explosive liquefied
natural gas from outside influences and negative impacts.
WHAT ARE LNG TANKS NEEDED FOR?
Nynäshamn, Sweden. On 22 December 2008, the Sub-division
was awarded the design & engineering contract for the first LNG
storage tank in Sweden. The new container of a capacity of just
20,000 m³ is part of the new LNG import terminal, which is currently
taking shape 50 km south of Stockholm. Construction of the tank
will take 24 months.
Sagunto, Spain. In January 2009, Sub-division MJ was awarded
the contract for enlarging the import terminal as partner in an international joint venture. The same group of companies had already
built the first three tanks and was now commissioned to construct
the fourth LNG tank, also with a capacity of 150,000 m³. Construction started in spring and will take 32 months.
Pyeongtaek, South Korea. In April 2009, Sub-division MJ won
the contract for the execution of prestressing works for LNG tank
no. 23 in this LNG import terminal. Here, too, the Sub-division was
able to draw on earlier experiences, for it had already been involved
in the construction of the 140,000 m³ tanks no. 11 to 14, followed by
the 200,000 m³ tanks no. 19 and 20.
CONTACT: Hamish Douglas, Building Construction & Civil
Engineering, Division International 3G, Sub-division Asia /Africa
Often, it is too expensive to build pipelines for transporting the
natural gas from the place where it is won to the place where it is
needed. To transport the gas efficiently all the same, a special physical
property of natural gas is utilized. Natural gas liquefies at a temperature of minus 162°C whereby its volume decreases by a factor of
600. In this state, special cargo ships transport it to its destination,
where it is regasified back into natural gas at regasification plants.
At the ports, LNG tanks are required for the interim storage of the
liquefied gas.
32
DYWIDAG prestressing system used for reinforcing the concrete wall to
provide for additional protection.
www.strabag.com
inform 18
Building Construction & Civil Engineering Projects
ROBERT-BLUM-STREET
Hegau Tower
MODERN DWELLING
IN OLD DESIGN
OFFICE COMPLEX OFFERING
A BIRD‘S EYE VIEW
Austria. The housing estate on nos. 1 and 3 Robert-BlumStreet in Vienna is a fine example of a lovingly done rehabilitation.
“The former housing estate for railroaders dates back to the year
1900 and was in a miserable state,” remembers Project Manager
Andreas Degen. The two blocks were not only fundamentally improved
but also their thermal insulation completely rehabilitated. The two
blocks were not only fundamentally improved but also their thermal
insulation completely rehabilitated and an underground parking
garage was added.
Germany. “An aspiring town needs aspiring architecture.” This
was the motto under which the Hegau Tower was designed and
constructed. The Singen Office of Ed. Züblin AG’s Business Unit
Friedrichshafen erected a highly efficient office building at the extinct
volcano Hohentwiel. “M&E engineering and façade construction
were done by other companies, with Züblin responsible for the
overall coordination,” explains Project Manager Waldemar Kröning.
Two buildings with a rectangular layout standing side-by-side in
a line are connected with each other from ground level up to the
fourth upper level through the full-length façade. The impressive,
7.5 m high lobby sporting black granite, lots of stainless steel and
glass is just one example of the noblesse of this complex. The pièce
de résistance of the object is the conference room on the 17th upper
level which offers a bird’s eye view of the city.
Construction period: 30 months
Contract volume: EUR 13.9 mn
Rehabilitated and newly-built usable space: 10,550 m²
Construction period: 18 months
Contract volume: EUR 13.1 mn
Office space: 14,500 m²
“In a first step, the walls had to be cut through to control rising
damp,” explains Degen the starting situation. Once the roof structure had been dismantled, a new attic and gallery story with generously shaped maisonette apartments could be built. Empty apartments were revamped and smaller units merged into bigger ones.
The main challenge of this project was to preserve the charm of the
old, richly-ornamented façade, yet to still renew the thermal insulation. For this purpose, 10 cm thick Austrotherm EPS-F boards
(an external thermal insulation composite system) were used.
In May 2009, the project was completed: The housing estate still
looks the same but now offers a new quality of living.
The 30 cm thick standard floor slabs rest on columns made of
C 85/95 concrete with diameters ranging from 50 to 70 cm. The concrete walls, columns, and slabs are made of exposed concrete. The
building’s high energy efficiency is achieved mainly through concrete
core temperature control. Cavity floors with double-floor routes in combination with lightplasterboard walls allow for flexible office layouts.
CONTACT: Andreas Degen, Building Construction & Civil
Engineering, Division Austria 3C, Sub-division Vienna (AP)
CONTACT: Waldemar Kröning, Building Construction & Civil
Engineering, Division Germany 2C, Sub-division Stuttgart
To preserve the original look, 28 different ornamental elements were
fabricated according to original patterns.
A ‘flat building’ with four upper levels was attached to the impressive,
67.5 m high 18-story tower.
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Transportation Infrastructures Projects
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Scharbeutz
A PEARL SECURED
Owing to the flood protection measures taken in the tourist
destination Scharbeutz, the town is now not only shielded
from storm surges but shines in new splendor, as well.
Germany. On 10 July 2009, the town’s notables came together
to ceremoniously inaugurate Scharbeutz’s new flood protection
facility. What was celebrated was the completion of phase 4 of this
project. The overall construction period, despite summer breaks,
was only four years – a brilliant performance by STRABAG Subdivision Becker Bau.
Coastal protection is among the most important constructional measures required in Scharbeutz, for it helps preserve the
beach and the one-of-a-kind coastal landscape in the Lübeck Bay
in the long run. Due to the changing climate, the region must reckon
with ever more frequent and ever more violent storm surges. “Now,
the people of Scharbeutz can feel safe even during strong storm
tides of the Baltic Sea,” emphasizes Project Manager Björn Güttler.
Storm surges of up to 2.5 m can now be blocked off. This protects
some 300 hectares of lowland and way above 1,000 inhabitants and
1,500 guest beds. Yet, there is not much to be seen of the 3.6 km
long flood protection and dam structure, for it was skillfully integrated into the newly revamped waterside promenade.
GEARED UP FOR THE NEXT 100 YEARS
For the flood protection project, 88,000 m² of sand dunes had
to be bulldozed away. Then, two sheet-pile walls, one of a length of
3,000 m, the other one 550 m long, were rammed into the ground.
To stabilize these walls, 17,500 sandbags had to be arranged in front
of them. Additionally, to prevent soil from being washed away,
70,000 m² of geotextile and geogrid had to be laid. When the reinforced concrete walls of 3,000 m and 550 m were completed, they
were covered with sand and the rebuilt sand dunes then planted
with beach grass and lyme grass. “On a 65 m long stretch, coastal
protection was achieved by way of natural stone revetment. Here, we
used armourstones of a total weight of about 2,000 t,” explains Björn
Güttler. The overall area constructed was approximately 60,000 m².
In the course of this project, the town center of Scharbeutz got
a newly designed 450 m long pier forecourt and a new beach lounge
with trick fountains. And, a new walking path is now winding its way
through the dunes to offer promenaders a beautiful and open view
of the Lübeck Bay.
CONTACT: Björn Güttler, Transportation Infrastructures,
Division Germany 6I, Sub-division Becker Bau
34
Bags of non-woven fabric are filled with sand at a filling station to be
used for flood and coastal protection.
Construction start: October 2005
Total cost: EUR 17.5 mn
Constructed area: 60,000 m²
Weight of sandbags: 3 tons /piece
www.strabag.com
PRAGUE RING ROAD
AN 83 KM LONG BELTWAY
Recently, it has become ever-more difficult to reach
Prague, the beautiful metropolis on the River Vltava, for
road traffic has increased enormously. A high-capacity
ring road shall help. STRABAG a.s. is playing a major
role in this project.
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Transportation Infrastructures Projects
present, only the workers can enjoy this view once they have
climbed the 150 flights of stairs to their ‘workplace’.
Another structure to be completed in spring 2010 is the steel
bridge over the Lochkov Valley. This 64 m giant is going to be the
second-highest structure on a motorway in the Czech Republic. It
has a length of 421 m and weighs more than 4,500 t. This bridge is
built using the incremental launching method. “This is a method
rarely used anywhere in the world, but the architectural design made
it necessary,” explains Project Manager Pavel Macháček.
CONTACT: Pavel Macháček, Transportation Infrastructures,
Division Czech Republic /Slovakia 6O, Sub-division Central
Czech Republic. The Vltava metropolis Prague, the capital and
biggest city of the Czech Republic, is situated – in an easily accessible location – in the western part of the country. Yet, if you need to
go to Prague during the rush hour, no matter if you want to reach the
city center or just the suburbs, you will inevitably get stuck in traffic
on the main roads. The city administration has already declared war
on the daily traffic chaos and has ordered the construction of a highcapacity ring road around Prague to relieve traffic congestion in the
city. The project is split into eleven sections, which are built step-bystep. The entire ring road shall have a length of 83 km.
Currently under construction are sections 514 (Lahovice –
Slivenec), 513 (Vestec – Lahovice), and 512 (D1 – Vestec). STRABAG
a.s., Dálniční stavby Praha, a.s., SAT s.r.o., and TPA ČR s.r.o. are
playing major roles in the construction of these ring road sections.
Together with the already completed section 515, they will form the
southwestern part of the ring road and connect the highly frequented
Czech motorways D5 and D1.
Completion: 2014
Contract volume sections 514+512: approx. EUR 4 mn
Total length: 83 km
Total number of ring road sections: 11
The total length of the southwestern part of section 514 is
6,030 m and comprises some engineering challenges. The road shall
run through two tunnels, across the rivers Berounka and Vltava as
well as over a railway line and a motorway. In April 2010, this part of
the ring road shall already be open for trucks and cars to improve
the traffic situation in the southern part of Prague.
above: Construction of the steel bridge across the Lochkov Valley.
below: Level crossing: intersection with ramps – a large level traffic
circle
The ‘Lahovice flyover’ is an important part of this section. It
consists of two bridge structures which are connected to form one
single bridge. 2,030 m long, it will be the longest motorway bridge
in the Czech Republic and will offer a beautiful view of the city. At
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Transportation Infrastructures Projects
inform 18
BRATISLAVA AIRPORT
VISIONS OF
MODERNIZATION
The M. R. Štefánik Airport in Bratislava was in dire need
of rehabilitation. Unsurprisingly so, since the terminal
dating back to the year 1970 has long become technically
the finished collector
obsolete. A clear case for the experts of STRABAG s.r.o.,
Sub-division TG.
Slovakia. In August 2008, we had clearance for takeoff: The
enlargement and reconstruction of the Bratislava Airport could commence. Already back in 2004, the first vision for the new terminal
had been born. Yet, only many visions later, STRABAG’s Sub-division
TG could set to work. “The goal was to enlarge and to modernize
the terminal building and to quickly provide for an infrastructure
meeting the Schengen criteria,” explains Project Manager Marian
Kanuščák.
Construction period: 8 months
Contract volume: EUR 8.4 mn
Floor area: 9,500 m²
Rock removed: approx. 5,000 m³
The actual kick-off of the three-phase airport enlargement was
in September 2008. In phase ‘zero’, new access and exit roads had
to be built. Parallel thereto, the first phase of the construction of the
new terminal started. The 30 objects to be built were broken into five
complex groups: infrastructure and utility connections, installations,
building engineering, transportation infrastructure and gardens, civil
engineering.
The pièce de résistance of the project is the underground collector – unmatched in Slovakia. It is a tunnel functioning as supply
network. Among other things, it contains all cables, also those for
the telecommunication networks, and the pneumatic tube system,
and has a length of 189 m and a cross-section of 2.5 m x 3.3 m.
9,500 SQUARE METERS ADDED
During construction, some 5,000 m³ of rock were removed, and
135 t of reinforcement steel, 800 m³ of concrete, and 10,500 m² of
water sealing material installed. 125 t of steel elements were needed
for the collector alone, together with 5 km of communication cables
and 3 km of optical cables. The enlargement added some 9,500 m²
to the overall area of the airport.
Construction work during the winter months turned out particularly difficult. In February alone, we had snow on 18 days. “In order
to keep the schedule all the same, work sometimes went on around
the clock. Yet, we did it, despite all complications,” says Kanuščák
proudly.
CONTACT: Marian Kanuščák, Transportation Infrastructures,
Division Czech Republic/Slovakia 6O, Sub-division Slovakia
surface compacting works
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Transportation Infrastructures Projects
EXTERNAL DUCT DIAMETER: 315 MM
DRILLING LIKE HEROES
Have you seen the movie ‘Armageddon’ starring Bruce
Willis? To save mankind, a team of experts drilled a hole
into an asteroid to insert an explosive charge. Well,
the motives of RBS may not be quite as heroic, but the
missions are no less important. Where others give up,
they go on drilling.
Austria. During the work on the City Tunnel in Waidhofen / Ybbs,
experts were required whose reference projects unfortunately cannot
be looked at, for either grass grows, cars drive or water flows over
them. STRABAG’s subsidiary RBS GmbH was contracted to build a
drainage duct of an external diameter of 315 mm to the River Ybbs
using flush drilling. The allrounders in the field of pipe engineering
offer one-stop solutions comprising construction, pipe installation
and welding.
“To provide for a safe drainage of tunnel water, the Ø 315 mm
duct had to be laid – starting from the so-called ‘water-conservation
system west’ shaft – approximately 8 to 9 m underneath street level
and 140 m in natural flow to the River Ybbs,” explains Site Manager
Gerhard Buchberger. Work started on 23 April 2009 and was completed within a mere 8 days.
Construction period: 8 days
Drilling fluid: 150 m³
Thrust /pullback force DW4020AT: 18 t
Maximum torque: 6,800 NM
The exit point of the bore is situated at the foot of the Ybbsfacing side of the conglomerate wall, a sedimentary rock consisting
mainly of gravel and boulders. To reach the required installation
depth of 8 m, a 50 m horizontal bore had to be drilled at an angle of
The duct is being connected to the reamer.
90 degrees to the River Ybbs underneath the existing railroad tracks
to the aforementioned shaft.
MAIDEN USE OF DITCH WITCH 4020 AT
The limited space and access ways posed a particular challenge. The RBS team had to install the duct floating on the river. This
project also saw the maiden use of the Ditch Witch 4020 All Terrain
directional drilling rig. “This magic tool is a compact, horizontal
directional drilling rig allowing for 300 m deep bores into the rock,”
explains Buchberger. The performance of this drilling rig in combination with that of the team provided for a professional and on-schedule completion of the project. The use of the horizontal flush drilling
method allowed for keeping the disturbances to nature as well as
local residents to a minimum.
CONTACT: Wolfgang Plank and Gerhard Buchberger,
Transportation Infrastructures, Division Austria /Germany/
Switzerland 6D, Sub-division Upper Austria /Salzburg
The Ø 315 mm duct is installed from the riverside.
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Transportation Infrastructures Projects
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NOISE BARRIER WALLS
HIGH-TECH
ON THE ROADSIDE
Almost everyone will know what they are, but hardly
anyone ever takes a closer look: Noise barrier walls
often look quite simple and unflashy as they are standing
alongside roads or railroad tracks. They are real pieces
of high-tech, though. For this reason, we like to present
one such project each from Germany and Austria in this
issue of inform.
Germany /Austria. Since 1975, Züblin has been developing
noise barrier walls, and since 2003, also special protective walls for
railroad lines allowing for speeds of up to 350 km / h. Züblin is the
world leader in this field today. “Protective wall systems made of
concrete and aluminum elements have stood the test already at
diverse high-speed railroad lines, e.g. between Beijing and Tianjin,”
tells Ulrich Stuible, Head of Business Unit Noise Control.
Currently, new protective walls are being erected along the
180 km long high-speed railroad line Cologne-Rhine /Main. This railroad line connects the two biggest conurbations in Germany and is
operated at 300 km / h in most of its parts. Because of the high train
speeds, the noise, wind, and dazzle protection walls must be able to
withstand great pressure and suction forces. That’s where Business
Unit Noise Control enters the scene to replace the existing walls with
new ‘System Züblin’ protective walls made of concrete and aluminum.
Until mid-2010, the Züblin experts will build some 80,000 m² of
these walls under difficult conditions.
In Austria, noise barrier walls have been built since 1990 under
the management of Johann Fritzenwallner for clients like Asfinag,
ÖBB, provincial governments, industrial businesses, and private
households. The initial annual turnover of EUR 700,000 has meanwhile increased fifteen-fold to EUR 10.5 mn.
A NEW GENERATION
In fall 2007, STRABAG AG, Pinsdorf Branch, in Austria was
contracted to carry out the Antiesenhofen project, which, among
other things, comprised the construction of a 2.2 km long noise protection wall prototype. This wall represents the new generation of
noise protection walls and shall improve people’s quality of living.
Continuous, yet slowly but constantly changing lines and structures
simulate a slowly passing landscape. Slowly opening and closing
windows create a harmonious and smooth transition from the wall to
the scenery behind.
Total volume throughout Europe: 4 mn m² of noise barriers
Annual turnover 2008 Germany: EUR 42 mn
Annual turnover 2008 Austria: EUR 10.5 mn
Because of last year’s European Football Championship, the
construction period was shortened from 43 to 17 weeks. “Therefore,
all prefab elements had to be built in advance, according to plan.
So, no deviations at all were allowed,” remembers Project Manager
Gerald Adelsgruber.
CONTACT GERMANY: Ulrich Stuible, Building Construction &
Civil Engineering, Division Germany /BNL 2F, Sub-division
Bavaria /Systembau
CONTACT AUSTRIA: Johann Fritzenwallner, Transportation
Infrastructures, Division Austria /Germany/Switzerland 6D,
Sub-division Upper Austria /Salzburg
An important market, which increases the quality of life.
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PROPERTY AND FACILITY SERVICES
MORE
THAN BUILDING
STRABAG Property and Facility Services GmbH
[STRABAG PFS] has been a member of the STRABAG
Group since October 2008. Since then, a lot has
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Special Divisions & Concessions Projects
ties, we are now on a good way up into the top ranks of facility managers,” summarizes Ludwig Steinbauer, Chairman and CEO of
STRABAG PFS, the company’s accomplishments of the first year. In
infrastructure and technical facility management, STRABAG PFS
already is the no. 2 in Germany. This is according to a survey by
market researcher Lünendonk which was published in July 2009.
In its first year as a STRABAG member, STRABAG PFS also had
the pleasure to receive an award. In recognition of its development of
a software tool for the identification of potential savings of propertyrelated costs in the utilization phase the company was presented with
the ‘Immobilien Manager Award 2009’ in the category ‘Management’.
changed at the former subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom.
Aside from having been integrated into the Group, the
company has landed some big contracts.
Germany. On 1 April 2009, the new STRABAG subsidiary won its
biggest contract since the time it started operating on the external
market one year ago: facility management services for more than
900 properties owned and used by HypoVereinsbank in Germany.
This contract also meant the takeover of some 200 employees, who
changed from the bank’s operative facility management to STRABAG.
The company’s tasks comprise the technical and commercial facility
management as well as infrastructure facility management services,
such as waste management, upkeep of outdoor areas and cleaning
works.
STRABAG PFS in Europe
Total net floor area managed: 17.5 mn m²
Objects: 36,000
M&E systems: 750,000
CONTACT: Gabriele Renard, Special Divisions & Concessions,
Division Services 4S, Sub-division PFS
This contract is a good example of companies professionally
implementing optimization concepts together with an external partner
such as STRABAG PFS. With know-how, experience, and with the
added strength of new staff, STRABAG PFS energetically assists
HypoVereinsbank in achieving its goals.
NOTHING BUT PROFESSIONALISM
Other contracts, like that for the 77,000 m² shopping center
MyZeil in Frankfurt also indicate that this company is thriving in the
STRABAG Group. “We will more than make up for the decreasing
turnover with our key customer Deutsche Telekom. While we have
previously been known mainly as the manager of Telekom proper-
from left: A. Kraus (SEB), N. Meichser, C. Humbert (Deloitte),
D. Breitzke
The famous Hypo high-rise at Arabella Park in Munich.
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Special Divisions & Concessions Projects
inform 18
PARTYING NON-STOP
TUNNEL BREAKTHROUGHS
2009 is the year of breakthrough ceremonies: At the
Perschling Tunnel Chain, the Raingruben Tunnel breakthrough was celebrated, the LT33 tunneling site saw a
spectacular laser show, and a brass music band played
at the Erstfeld site of the Gotthard Base Tunnel.
A firework for celebrating the Erstfeld breakthrough of the Gotthard
Base Tunnel.
Austria /Switzerland. The first of this year’s breakthrough
ceremonies took place at the Perschling Tunnel Chain.
On 11 March 2009, at 10:53 a.m. sharp, the Raingruben Tunnel
was broken through by tunneling machine ‘Simone’.
two-track tunnels: The first tunnel driven was the 3,293 m long
Stierschweiffeld Tunnel, followed by the 1,370 m long Reiserberg
Tunnel. The last in the chain was the 2,775 m long Raingruben
Tunnel, which, according to geological investigations was supposed
to be the most difficult one. And that was true. 1,342 m into the rock,
the tunneling machine came to an abrupt halt. In early January 2009,
after cumbersome special measures, driving was resumed, but
despite all efforts, the boring head got stuck again. “It was at that
time that doubt came up if this tunnel could be successfully driven
with the tunneling machine,” remembers Project Manager Manfred
Köpf. Yet, in the end, the machine could be restarted again and the
remaining part of the tunnel successfully excavated.
A 12.8 KM LONG TUNNEL UNDERNEATH VIENNA
A breakthrough ceremony is always a special event …
ÖBB Infrastruktur Bau AG is upgrading the Westbahn railroad
line between Vienna and Wels into a four-track line. The approximately 44 km long section Vienna – St. Pölten is broken into three
sub-sections. Wienerwald, Tullnerfeld, and Westabschnitt. The most
essential part of the Westabschnitt is the Perschling Tunnel Chain,
which is being constructed by STRABAG Sub-division IR.
The LT33 Hofjagdstraße building lot is an important part of
Lainzer Tunnel in Vienna which will be the new link between the Westbahn railroad line and the new Vienna Main Station. For this reason,
25 May 2009 was a special day for the project team: After 28 months
of work, the breakthrough of Lainzer Tunnel could be celebrated.
“At a big party with several hundred guests, the Austrian Federal
Chancellor Werner Faymann and Infrastructure Minister Doris Bures
once again stressed the significance of the project for the infrastruc-
Completion of construction work: end 2009
Contract volume: EUR 107 mn
Total length of section: 11 km
Material moved: approx. 1 mn m³
Work on this tunnel chain has been going on at full speed
since March 2005. The tunnel chain consists of three consecutive
… for staff and guests.
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Special Divisions & Concessions Projects
gratulated STRABAG on this outstanding achievement. In his speech,
Mr. Leuenberger said he was very impressed by the efficient progress
of construction and thanked everyone involved, especially the tunnel
workers. Also among the speakers was Jürg Lucek, Technical
Manager of Sub-division IS, who emphasized that this was “without
doubt, a historic moment”.
Construction period: 48 months
Opening of Gotthard Base Tunnel: 2017
Contract volume: EUR 260 mn
Erstfeld - Amsteg: 7.8 km
tural development of the greater Vienna area,” recounts Wolfgang
Lehner, Head of Sub-division IR. The party started off with a spectacular laser show. The nearly 3 km long section LT33 was built
using the closed tunnel construction method. The tunnel was excavated through a 25 m deep shaft at Hofjagdstraße, and runs in a depth
of up to 100 m underneath Lainzer Tiergarten all the way to Roter
Berg in Vienna’s 13th district. The breakthrough marked the end of all
excavation work on the 12.8 km long Lainzer Tunnel.
The tunnel breakthrough was achieved with great accuracy,
with a minimal horizontal and vertical deviation of less than 1 cm.
“The stress we’ve had during the last months until the last day was
enormous. The breakthrough meant a great relief for me and the
entire team. And, it also made us very proud,” says Project Manager
Beat Blindenbacher. The ceremony was rounded off by a joint lunch
in the tunnel and the rhythmic music of a brass band.
Construction period: 47 months
Tunnel opening: end 2012
Contract volume: EUR 88.8 mn
Tunnel length: 12.8 km
In the flysch, through alternations of marl, lime and claystones,
the tunnel was driven using the drill and blast method. In built-up
areas, it was of particular importance to permanently watch over
rock deformations and surface subsidences. “Mid-2010, the section
shall be made available for subsequent works, and the tunnel opening
is scheduled for end 2012,” Lehner adds.
THE LAST METER OF GABI I
Gabi I is eagerly awaited.
The last of the three ceremonies was that for the Erstfeld breakthrough of the Gotthard Base Tunnel. In the last issue of inform we
brought a detailed account on this impressive tunneling project. The
Erstfeld section is a 7.78 km long segment of the 57 km long
Gotthard Base Tunnel. On 16 June 2009, at 11:58 a.m., Gabi I cut
through the last meter of rock on ‘her’ way from Erstfeld to Amsteg.
The tunneling machine covered a distance of 7.2 km within just
18 months, arriving in Amsteg half a year earlier than planned. The
machine was welcomed by about 800 guests, among them Federal
Councillor Moritz Leuenberger, who, at the construction site, con-
CONTACT PERSCHLING: Manfred Köpf, Special Divisions &
Concessions, Division Tunneling 2I, Sub-division Tunneling (IR)
CONTACT LT33: Wolfgang Lehner, Special Divisions &
Concessions, Division Tunneling 2I, Sub-division Tunneling (IR)
CONTACT ERSTFELD: Beat Blindenbacher, Special Divisions &
Concessions, Division Tunneling 2I, Sub-division Tunneling (IS)
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Special Divisions & Concessions Projects
inform 18
SÖDERSTRÖM TUNNEL
550 TRAINS A DAY
550 TRAINS IN THE
BELLY OF STOCKHOLM
Citybanan is a railroad tunnel running underneath Stockholm’s
city center. The some 6 km long tunnel will provide for two additional
tracks and two stations. This will allow for doubling the capacity of
the line to 550 trains a day. The tunnel starts at Tomteboda in the
northern periphery of Stockholm, where the trains to Stockholm
Main Station branch off. From there, the tunnel continues under
Vasastan, Norrmalm, Riddarholmen, the Söderström, and Södermalm
to terminate at the existing underground station Stockholm Södra.
Due to environmental requirements and the fact that Stockholm is
built on crystalline granite, a tunnel provided the only possibility for
improving the public transportation network. Because of the convincing technical solution that Züblin suggested, the company was
commissioned with the construction of the Söderström Tunnel, which
is a highly demanding section of the Citybanan. In cooperation with
the Danish construction company Pihl & Son, Züblin has taken up
the challenge of carrying out this contract worth about EUR 145 mn.
Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, is the biggest city in
Scandinavia with a population of 800,000. When the
southern entrance to the Stockholm Main Station in the
center of the city had been built back in 1871, about ten
trains stopped there every day. When the station’s capacity
had been notably exceeded, first ideas to upgrade the
entire railroad line were brought up in 1988.
Sweden. In the year 2005, construction of a second Årsta Bridge
and the upgrading of the railroad line to four tracks all the way to the
Stockholm Södra Station were completed. But this was not enough
for handling the expected volume of traffic on this line. The Stockholm administration searched for alternatives, and in 2005, the idea
of the ‘Citybanan’ was born. On 24 January 2009, the first spadeful
of soil was ceremoniously turned and the opening of the line is
scheduled for 2017.
Drilling works for the sheet-pile wall.
42
RIDDARHOLMEN & MÄLARSTRAND
On both sides of the Söderström complex, building pits are
excavated to provide access to the tunnel. The first excavation
of a depth of 30 m is dug at the northern end of the tunnel
(Riddarholmen). A 1 m thick transverse wall separates the building
pit from the Söderström. To prevent water ingress, the wall is
sealed using jet grouting. At the southern end of the tunnel, at
Söder Mälarstrand, a secant pile wall of a diameter of 1.5 m
is built as a transverse wall reaching down to a depth of 35 m.
In both cases, the building pits are stabilized with two layers
of pipe struts. To allow for the Söder Mälarstrand Street to be
kept open for traffic at all times, an approximately 120 m long
Start of drilling using a BG 40 at the Söder Mälarstrand.
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Special Divisions & Concessions Projects
temporary two-lane bridge is to be built. The main span of this
bridge will be 50 m.
BUILT FOR THE NEXT 120 YEARS
The maximum water depth of the Söderström is 23 m. In its
soft, clayey bed, four combined pile-raft foundations must be built
to serve as supports for the immersed tunnel. This is similar to what
is used for bridges and will require a great deal of dredging. Due to
the extremely restricted space, the steel shell, needed for enclosing
the three prefab tunnel elements, is prefabricated at a shipyard in
Tallinn. Each steel shell element is 20.5 m wide, 10 m high and 100 m
long. The tunnel elements are fabricated in a concrete plant at a quay
facility outside Stockholm, for supply to and from this location is much
easier and so no additional noise nuisance is created in the city center.
As soon as they have a draft of 6 m, the trough-shaped elements are
towed to the construction site and concreting is completed at Söder
Mälarstrand. Once the elements have been sealed with bulkheads,
they are ready for immersion. The transverse walls can then be eliminated and the elements carefully connected to each other. The
quality of this work, which, by the way, could not be effected without
divers, provides for a 120-year-durability of the tunnel.
Project duration: January 2008 – December 2012
Contract volume: EUR 145 mn
Amount of concrete used: 45,000 m³
Amount of steel used: 3,900 t
CONTACT: Tilo Spahn, Special Divisions & Concessions,
Ground Engineering & Tunneling 2L, Ground Engineering
Tilo Spahn, Project Manager at the Söderström
Tunnel.
The editor of inform spoke to Tilo Spahn about
his professional and personal experiences with
this project.
What’s the schedule for the project?
The scheduled duration of the project is five
years – from January 2008 to December 2012.
This is a very short period, for not all uncertainties have yet been cleared, e.g. soil type and
conditions during the winter season. Apart from
that, the preliminary work associated with staff
recruitment and material procurement alone took
ten months.
What are the challenges that are waiting
for you?
Particular challenges are the construction of two
up to 30 m deep building pits below water level,
the immersion of three tunnel elements, and the
cutting through granite with a crushing strength
of 300 MPa. Apart from that, the limited access
to the construction site provides a tremendous
logistical challenge. These complex and demanding parameters will certainly make this project an
outstanding tunneling project.
What were your personal experiences so
far?
Leading a team of 14 nationalities is a demanding and exciting task for me. During the last year,
I managed to learn Swedish beside my work.
Thank you for the interview!
A pile is poured on the tube rotating unit.
43
Events
inform 18
STRATRIA & JP MORGAN CORPORATE CHALLENGE
IN THE SHADOW OF THE IRONMAN
“READY, SET, GO …”
With a top time of 1:09:00, Peter Matzke from Germany, a guest
participant, was the first to reach the finish line with a lead of just
38 seconds. The fastest female STRABAG triathlete with a time of
1:26:32 was Nora Legradi from Hungary, and the fastest male
STRABAG triathlete with a time of 1:13:49 was Martin Zufan from
the Czech Republic. The winning STRABAG relay team that made it
to the finish in 1:19:09 consisted of Alexander Tippl, Günther Dangl,
and Engelbert Helm.
June was the month of fitness and speed: In Austria, at
the 4th STRAtriathlon, and in Germany, at the meanwhile
traditional JP Morgan Corporate Challenge, STRABAG
staff demonstrated their athletic ambitions.
Austria /Germany. Warm 21°C, the sun stubbornly fighting the
clouds, a soft breeze blowing – in short: perfect race conditions. On
Friday, 5 June 2009, 214 participants were mentally as well as physically prepared for the 4th STRABAG fun triathlon. This year again,
the race took place on the Danube Island in Vienna. The 94 hobby
athletes, who had signed up for the individual race, and the 40 relay
teams made up of 3 athletes each, took up the challenge of tackling
the three distances: 750 m swim, 22 km bike and 5 km run.
At 4 p.m. sharp, the race was started, and 134 swimmers did
the crawl in the River Danube to reach the first buoy. After just
13 minutes, the first individual racer struggled out of the water and
moved on to the next discipline. And even the last swimmer made it
to the bike in just 28 minutes. Approximately 48 minutes after the
start, the leading racer changed from the bike into his running shoes
and hit the tarmac for the last 5 km.
Mario Rabitsch, the organizer of the STRAtria event and a
participant himself, came in rank ten with a time of 1:17:30. “The
great number of participants showed that this event is very popular
among our staff and their guests, also internationally. Hence, the
coast is clear for a 5th STRAtria,” concludes Rabitsch.
The atmosphere was great. Aside from ambition, fun was a
huge priority. Taking part is what counts! Still, everyone can really
be proud of their performance. And, we would also like to say
a heartfelt THANK YOU to all the loyal fans who cheered the
racers on.
RUNNING IN THE HIGH-RISE CANYONS
The 17th JP Morgan Corporate Challenge on June 17 in
Frankfurt /Main was a truly superlative sporting event. The event
with its some 70,000 participants under the auspices of Federal
President Horst Köhler is the world’s biggest running event.
Info + +
Self-built STRABAG Sportster
Austria. A loudly yelled “Ready, set, go!” started off the
soapbox derby in Linz on 19 May 2009. By a fortunate coincidence we learned that 7-year old Fabian started for STRABAG.
His father, Peter Wöß, Transportation Infrastructures Team Leader
in Braunau, Upper Austria, designed and constructed his son’s
‘STRABAG sportster’ all by himself. “Out of almost 50 soapboxes it was exactly ours that made it into the papers. We are
so proud,” says Peter Wöß.
Congratulations!!
Stylish STRABAG sportster: Fabian Wöß speeding in his soapbox.
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Events
Together we are strong – Together in the high-rise canyons.
At 7:30 p.m. sharp, Prime Minister Roland Koch gave the starting
signal for the 5.6 km run through the high-rise canyons of the
banking metropolis. Among the crowd of runners were 148 staff
members from STRABAG, who went to the trouble of traveling to
Frankfurt together with their fans just for taking part in this race.
“IT’S MY WIFE’S BIRTHDAY.”
Our fastest STRABAG runner had a good reason to cover the
distance in just 21:10 minutes. Said Ingo Peitz from STRABAG
Ritschenhausen: “I was in a hurry. I have to get home to Thuringia,
for it’s my wife’s birthday.” Thomas Fellhauer (BMTI Karlsruhe) and
Tillmann Walz (Züblin Stuttgart) reached the finish line in 23:20 and
24:52 minutes, respectively. This year, even more of our runners
showed the company’s colors. Several times, our colorful flags were
visible in the crowd. The event was rounded off by a cheerful BBQ.
And, at the end of the day, people were already looking forward to
next year’s run: “It was great. We’ll be back!”
CONTACT STRATRIATHLON: Mario Rabitsch,
Service Companies, Central Division Zentrale Technik,
Zentrale Technik Vienna
CONTACT JP MORGAN CORPORATE CHALLENGE:
Nina Dorfmüller, Building Construction & Civil Engineering,
Division Germany 2C, Sub-division Central
A facial expression is worth a thousand words …
45
Specials
inform 18
CONGRATULATIONS
A LAP OF HONOR
IN THE ROAD FINISHER
Austria. Dietmar Gastl has been working for the Group’s commercial administration department in Imst, Tyrol, since 1996, and
demonstrated his attachment to the company with his wedding
photograph. On 27 June 2009, Dietmar and Barbara exchanged
their vows at the Parish Church of Saint Ulrich in Tarrenz. So far, all
went according to tradition. But, for afterwards, Dietmar’s colleagues
had a special surprise in store. “The road finisher waited right
outside the church, and accompanied by the Tarrenz riflemen’s
band, we drove a lap of honor through the village. What a surprise!”
remembers Dietmar Gastl. The editorial team of inform was delighted
about the ‘STRABAG-branded’ wedding photo and would like to
extend all the best wishes to the young couple!
from left: Andy Gastl (bridesman), Barbara and Dietmar Gastl
(bride and bridegroom) with 2-year old daughter Mona, Bernhard
Berghammer (groomsman) with daughter Hanna.
PAINTING COMPETITION
LITTLE ARTISTS
Dear Kids! A big THANK YOU to all of you for sending us
your fantastic paintings. It was really hard to choose the
most beautiful ones. In the end, we selected the following three works of art.
Congratulations to the winners:
left: Ita Tadzik, 6 years (Poland)
center: Bianca Korčoková, 7 years (Slovakia)
right: Jasmin Kölbl, 7 years (Austria)
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Specials
STRABAG
WANTED: YOUNG TALENTS!
Defne and Görkem Ünlü have already demonstrated it.
Inspired by these photos we would like to invite you to
take part in a new competition. We are looking for young
talents with STRABAG ambitions. Send us photos of your
kids in STRABAG design.
Of course, there will be some great prizes on offer,
again. We are looking forward to receiving your
snapshots!
Deadline for
arch 2010
entries: 31 M
Your opinion counts! What have you always wanted to say? Which article did you find particularly
interesting or which didn’t you like at all? Do you have ideas of how we could make inform
yet more informative, or do you have something you think should be published? This page
is reserved for your letters to the editor. We are looking forward to receiving your feedback.
Please e-mail your letter to: [email protected], or post it to: STRABAG SE,
Corporate Communications, Donau-City-Straße 9, A-1220 Vienna.
47
www.strabag.com
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moc.gabarts.www
www.strabag.com
Imprint Editing and publishing: STRABAG SE, Villach Editors: Barbara Saulich (editor-in-chief) Jaroslava Trlicová
(Czech Republic /Slovakia), Petra Mindler (Hungary), Bozena Czekajska (Poland), Elena Beljakowa (Russia) English translation:
Monika Farnleitner, Vienna Layout and print management: Gundula Schmid Prepress: finishingmove Printing: MACK GmbH,
Schönaich Photography: Mauritius Images + Getty Images (cover photo, p. 12-13), Max Moser (p. 5), Reklame Kontor Franc (p. 5),
Vestas Wind Systems A/S (p. 16), Fotolia (p. 26-27), Tishman Speyer Properties (p. 28-29), Frank Alexander Rümmele (p. 31),
Rainer Viertlböck (p. 33), Istockphoto (p. 46) Inquiries and mail to: STRABAG SE, attn. Ms. Barbara Saulich, phone +43 1 22422-1956,
fax +43 1 22422-1177, [email protected], or attn. Ms. Karoline Moser, phone +43 1 22422-1170, fax +43 1 22422-1177,
[email protected], Donau-City-Straße 9, A-1220 Vienna
Equal opportunities for women and men are a top priority at STRABAG. For this reason, we want to point out that terms such as
‘employees’, ‘clients’ or ‘experts’ used in this magazine always refer to both genders.